07 June 2009
The Meat Dress . . .
13/06/2009 20:42
I'm impressed by the technical skill involved in Jia Jam's Meatwad costume (from Aqua Teen Hunger Force). Yes, it's real meat; she had an ATHF birthday party and writes:
I chose salami because it's thin, keeps in one piece, and is quite cheap, and bacon because it looks very, um, meaty. I considered somehow vacuum-sealing sheets of meat with those sealers they have on the markets now, but the machines were too expensive for a one-time-only disposeable dress. I ended up using the K.I.S.S. method of construction, which involved a basic shift dress out of thick cotton. I layed the meat on top, then put clear vinyl over it and sewed tracks with clear thread. I used a wide stitch length to avoid perforating the meat to the point it might just... uh, slide down the bottom of the dress. I also blotted it all before sewing to get rid of as much grease as possible to avoid clouding the vinyl. Lastly, I made sure to bind the bottom of the dress with a strip of clear vinyl to catch drips. (I love talking about this; it's so disgusting.) The whole project took about 6 hours, and I kept it refrigerated until the party. Good times.
SINC SAYS:
What would she have done if there was a hungry dog at that party?
Teens Attack Man On Toilet
13/06/2009 20:37
After spying cash in
wallet
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A 61-year-old man was beaten and robbed by two teens as he sat on the toilet at a business on Angle Road, according to a recently released sheriff’s report.
The victim told St. Lucie County Sheriff’s investigators he was in the bathroom on the side of Fred’s Grocery about 11:44 a.m. Wednesday when two teens entered.
One hit him in the face by his eye while the other stole his wallet from his pants, which were down around his knees, the report said.
The victim told the store owner, who called 911. The store owner told investigators the boys, thought to be 16 to 17 years old, were behind the victim in line and “showed interest in the amount of cash” in his wallet.
The man’s wallet had about $87 in it.
The suspects are described as weighing 140 to 150 pounds and 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9. One had dreadlocks and wore a white T-shirt while the other wore a maroon shirt.
SINC SAYS:
Well, I suppose if you’re going to get the crap beat out of you, you couldn’t pick a better spot.
Pittsburgh Penguins Win Stanley Cup
13/06/2009 20:27
Penguins 2 - Wings 1; Talbot's two goals lead Pittsburgh to Stanley Cup triumph
There is the Pittsburgh Penguins’ big three – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal -- and then there is Maxime Talbot, the afterthought who has been a joker and at other times the butt of jokes.
Max Talbot, the guy who keeps goalie Marc-Andre Fleury loose before games by talking into his mask, nose to nose, dancing with him to the music playing from the ice surface, slapping him across the headgear. Every game, without fail.
Max Talbot, whom Penguins then-coach Michel Therrien tapped on the shoulder a year ago when Fleury came to the bench for an extra attacker in Game 5 of the 2008 final, who said to himself, "I'm sorry ... me?" -- then leaped on the ice and scored on his second whack at the puck to force extra time in a game the Penguins would win in triple OT.
Max Talbot, the target of Malkin's "little bit bad hands ... but it's OK, he learn over the summer" line, the morning after the afterthought scored two goals in the 4-2 Pittsburgh Game 3 victory that merely saved the Penguins' post-season.
Yes, that Max Talbot. The very same one who scored a pair of goals in the second period of Game 7 on Friday night to send the Detroit Red Wings into a state of shock from which they never completely recovered, lifting the underdog Penguins to a 2-1 victory and the Stanley Cup, in an upset of sizable proportions.
"Hey, I still have bad hands," said the 25-year-old Talbot. "Those goals still don't improve my stickhandling skills, and maybe, like Geno (Malkin) says, I can work on that. But I honestly don't care about the two goals. We won the game, Flower (Fleury) made some great saves, Geno won the Conn Smythe -- everybody's happy.
"We have a great group here for a number of years, and I can see great things in the future."
Finally, the NHL has someone other than the 1971 Montreal Canadiens to talk about coming back after losing the first two games on the road. Someone other than the '71 Habs to win Game 7 on the road after the home team won all of the first six. Someone other than Al MacNeil, who took over those Habs in mid-season as a rookie coach and won the Stanley Cup. The Penguins, and their own rookie mentor, Dan Bylsma, have joined them in the annals.
All those suppositions, all the insurmountable stats that argued the impossibility of the task, didn't matter.
"Life's a bugger," said Bylsma, who was coaching the Pens' farm squad in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., when the big team, languishing in 10th place in the East, fired Therrien in February and asked Bylsma to take over.
"I had dreams about this, but there are good coaches who've coached a lot of years and never had this kind of opportunity. I knew the quality of players that we had, I felt numerous times along the way: This team could win a Stanley Cup. Would we have enough time to do it this year? I wasn't sure, but ... it's an amazing story."
With Crosby out of the game except for a single shift after the five-minute mark of the second period -- victim of a hip check, possibly interference, by Johan Franzen that trapped Crosby's left knee high against the boards -- odds of the Penguins' being able to nail it down looked dim.
But Detroit defenceman Brad Stuart, who had coughed up the puck to Malkin, leading to Talbot's first goal 1:13 into the second period, made another bad decision to pinch at the right point, allowing Talbot to break away two-on-one with Tyler Kennedy -- and the bad-hands man buried a snap shot over the glove hand of Chris Osgood as the game hit the halfway mark. Suddenly, it was 2-0, and if 20,000 silent Red Wings fans in The Joe made a sound, it could only have been "gulp."
Defenceman Jonathan Ericsson's high knuckleball from the point at 13:53 of the third eluded Fleury's glove and gave Detroit a prayer of a comeback. But under immense pressure in the dying moments, Fleury made his finest stand of the entire series, and in the final four seconds, made consecutive saves off Henrik Zetterberg and -- diving to get his shoulder in the way of the rebound -- Nick Lidstrom as time ran out.
Nik Kronwall had hit the crossbar behind Fleury with 2:14 left, and the goalie gave the bar a friendly little pat at the next whistle.
"When they scored the first goal, I said, 'Flower, I still have the game-winner. Do it for me,' " joked Talbot. "They were desperate, they were coming at us pretty hard. But me and Flower, we're pretty tight, and I knew he would."
You wondered, from the outset, if the moment would be too big for the young Penguins.
It wasn't. This collection of amazing talent that has been just waiting to mature into a powerhouse for the last three years arrived on Friday. The Pens looked more comfortable than the veteran-laden Red Wings early on, and played magnificently without Crosby to protect the lead.
Pittsburgh's Cup is the organization's third, but its first since the heyday of co-owner Mario Lemieux, who won back-to-back in 1991 and 1992.
As the Penguins mobbed Fleury at the final horn, Lemieux could be seen in the skybox with tears running down his cheeks.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so, folks. I picked the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup about three months ago. SWIVEL HIPS sure made a pile of money on this one.
Calvin McCarty Gets On Fast Track
13/06/2009 20:26
Off-season training with gold-medal sprinter boosts running back's speed
Athletes are always looking for an edge, so when Calvin McCarty had the chance to train with an Olympic gold-medallist sprint relay runner, he took it.
"Yeah, blast off," said McCarty, of training with Robert Esmie, who ran the opening leg of the 4x100-metre relay at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta for Canada with the words "Blast Off" sculpted into his hair.
"We worked out for a couple of months together, on nothing but speed. Air blast off," he said of Esmie, who worked McCarty on land, in the sand and in the pool.
The two met up in North Surrey, B.C., where Esmie -- who won gold with Glenroy Gilbert, Bruny Surin and Donovan Bailey -- now resides and acts as a personal trainer.
"I ran into him at my old high school, St. Thomas More. He was helping coach our track team, so I talked to him and he said, 'Come see the doctor, the speed doctor at airblastoff.com,' " laughed McCarty. "Then he said, 'So, when they interview you to ask you about your speed, you tell them where you went.' "
Hey, any time a bull of a running back -- McCarty stands five-foot-10 and weighs 215 -- can get quicker is OK by coaches, management and fans alike.
And McCarty looks sharp in training camp. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say he's been the best all-round back over the first week for the Green and Gold, until he was nursing a tender ankle on Friday.
What are the expectations for the 2009 season?
"Just keep contributing," said head coach Richie Hall.
"It's more like what are our expectations as far as how can we get him the football, because he was productive last season. He had a breakout season. He emerged into one of the top all-around backs in the entire league, import or non-import.
"We want to be able to feed him the ball, run the ball, getting him -- I won't say how many touches per game -- but getting him touches because he has been productive. He has the ability to do a variety of things.
"So my expectations are for him to continue to contribute and make more of a contribution than he has in the past."
McCarty was a major threat coming out of the backfield in 2008, rackingt up 490 yards and four touchdowns on 88 carries, and adding 70 receptions for 583 yards.
"Yeah, you always want to get better, build on last season," said McCarty, who has taken a back seat to newcomer Jesse Lumsden with the media, but looks like a No. 1 at camp.
"I don't worry about that. That's fine with me," he said. "I wouldn't say I'm flying under the radar; I'm just trying to make plays. You come to camp wanting to be the man. I'm out here trying to earn it every day.
"I just do my job and execute the best that I can do. The goal is to win, by any means necessary. I have my personal goals and expectations for myself, but at the end of the day it's about winning."
For McCarty, a valuable Canadian, this isn't a 100-metre dash, even though he has been working on his initial speed.
"Coming into the season, you would obviously expect more (touches)," he said. "I've been working to step in and be the guy. I expect to be in there. It's a long season and it's not a race, it's a marathon."
The speed work definitely hasn't hampered his hands any, either. He displayed that with a late touchdown in Thursday's sessions, swinging out and up the sidelines to haul in a perfect throw from Ricky Ray from 40 yards out, blasting his way down the final 10.
"It was right there, right over the shoulder. Didn't have to reach out or nothing," smiled McCarty. "K.P.(Kamau Peterson) said, 'Late hands.' But I could have caught that with alligator arms, it was right on the money."
Just like McCarty's effort so far.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Calvin McCarty is one heck of a running back – and he’s Canadian to boot. Teamed with fellow-Canadian Jesse Lumsden, the Eskimos should have a very formidable running game this season.
Evgeni Malkin Redeemed With MVP Win
13/06/2009 20:26
Young star makes up for lacklustre 2008 post-season to capture Conn Smythe with most playoff points since 1993
A year after taking heavy criticism for his disappearance on hockey's grandest stage, Evgeni Malkin was hailed as the grandest performer of them all Friday.
Malkin, who had the highest point total in the post-season since Wayne Gretzky in 1993, was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy after playing the pivotal role in leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to their first Stanley Cup in 17 years.
In winning the award, Malkin becomes the first Russian player to win the playoff MVP honours and only the third European.
He joins Detroit's Nick Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg in that elite club.
Malkin, who picked up an assist on Max Talbot's opening goal of Game 7, led the Penguins in scoring in the final with two goals and eight points.
The 22-year-old finished the playoffs with 36 points (14-22-37), the best performance since Gretzky's 40-point effort.
The rangy Russian centre also did it with style. He scored clutch goals, artistic ones and most impressive to many, Malkin also showed a willingness to score the ugly ones by playing physical and driving the net.
"I'm learning how to play in playoffs," said Malkin, explaining the difference between his two finals.
"It's my second final. I play a little bit hard and physical more."
It was a marked contrast from last year's final when he was weakened by illness and never got it going, registering only three points.
"It's a gift offensively, anticipation-wise, the ability to seem to know the time and space he has and even doesn't have at times," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said of Malkin.
"Even better yet, he knows when other people have that time and space to deliver the puck to them."
With the Stanley Cup win tilting the voters Malkin's way, the six-foot-three centre was able to edge out the Wings candidates goalie Chris Osgood and Zetterberg.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is the first time a Russian-born player has won the Conn Smythe trophy as the Stanley Cup’s most valuable player. Congrats, Evgeni.
Joe McGrath In Familiar Territory
13/06/2009 20:25
It didn't take long for Joe McGrath to settle back into his Green and Gold silks.
The veteran offensive lineman, who returned to Edmonton in a surprising trade from Saskatchewan late Thursday afternoon, took a spot, mainly at left tackle, on Friday.
He also grabbed his old No. 63
jersey from prospect Adam Rogers and was quickly celebrating scrimmage scores, via bouncing body slams, with fellow O-lineman Calvin Armstrong in late morning sessions.
But does his return to Edmonton clear up the situation or muddy it back up?
"It always muddies things up," said offensive line coach Jeff Bleamer, speaking strictly of the sheer numbers. "I don't even want to say muddies it up; thank goodness I have two other coaches and we'll be grading the films in pre-season games. We'll get three sets of eyes on the players and a real good evaluation, because everything is so tight with competition. Nobody is really standing head and shoulders above anybody else."
And that's probably why McGrath is back. Nobody has grabbed the spot at left guard -- vacated by Dan Comiskey's retirement -- by the throat.
"That's the thing about football and the beauty about sports; there is no given. Trades happen, injuries happen, people come and go," said McGrath.
"We're all professionals. We know this is a business. At the end of the day, you line up on the hashes, compete and do your best."
The O-line has taken a hit through injury as well with Garrick Jones, Thaddeus Coleman and Greg Wojt currently out. That's why the versatile McGrath was at left tackle on Friday. His return also gives the Esks more Canadian depth and helps with the import-to-non-import ratio.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I don’t care what anyone says, folks, this McGrath move is a very strange one, indeed, by the Eskimos. And, I’m not buying any of this ‘homesick’ or ‘buyer’s remorse’ nonsense they’re trying to sell us, either.
Loss, Crosby’s Snub Leave Wings With Bitter Taste
13/06/2009 20:24
DETROIT - The Red Wings can accept that Pittsburgh is the Stanley Cup champion. Getting snubbed by Sidney Crosby is another matter.
After watching Pittsburgh hoist the Cup on Detroit's ice, the Red Wings lined up to shake hands with the Penguins as is custom in the NHL playoffs.
Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom was up front, followed by alternate captain Kris Draper, congratulating many of the new champions while waiting for Pittsburgh's captain.
"Nick was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn't come over to shake his hand," Draper told an Associated Press reporter a couple hours later as he was leaving Joe Louis Arena. "That's ridiculous, especially as their captain, and make sure you write that I said that!"
It can also be written that Pittsburgh didn't need Crosby to finish off the Red Wings, beating them 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals without the superstar healthy enough to play for the whole game.
Detroit was bitter about blowing 2-0 and 3-2 leads in the series, but the previous champions gave the Penguins their due.
"You've got to give them credit," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.
Goaltender Chris Osgood agreed.
"We're not stunned," he said. "They had a good team."
The Red Wings were good, too, just not good enough to overcome hurt or misfiring stars in the finals.
They swept Columbus, survived a seven-game series against Anaheim and skated past Chicago in five games as MVP finalist Pavel Datsyuk missed several games with a foot injury and Marian Hossa scoring in just three games.
But the Red Wings couldn't hold on to hoist the Cup for the second straight year and fifth time in 12 seasons when Datsyuk was out early in the finals and Hossa mustered only three assists against his former teammates.
"Any time you win three games in a final, you have a chance," Babcock said. "We just didn't have enough to get it done.
"The guys that were injured on our team this year never got their game back to the level it could be. And they were significant players for us."
Hossa wasn't hurt.
He was just ineffective.
Hossa seemed to crumble in the spotlight after turning down a lucrative, long-term contract last summer to stay with the runner-up Penguins to take a one-season shot at the Cup with the defending champions.
Hossa is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent again, but he wasn't ready to talk about his plans.
"I can't think about that now," he said. "I'm sure we'll have some talks."
The Red Wings will have some interesting decisions to make this off-season because they probably can't keep Hossa along with key free agents such as Jiri Hudler, Mikael Samuelsson, Tomas Kopecky and Ville Leino.
Detroit general manager Ken Holland answered some of the franchise's questions during the regular season by signing Henrik Zetterberg to a contract through the 2020-21 season and Johan Franzen to an 11-year contract.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the deals, which are set up to pay the players much less toward the end of the contracts, don't circumvent the salary cap.
"The rules allow what the Red Wings have done," Bettman said during the playoffs. "But if I was running a team, which I'm not, I would opt for shorter-term contracts.
"If they keep doing it, some of the contracts will probably turn out to be great and some will lead to people scratching their heads."
Zetterberg likes his team's chances of competing for a championship next June and in the years to come.
"We still have a good team," Zetterberg said shortly after shaving his two-month thick beard. "It's going to make us stronger. We've got a great group of guys here that are going to be around for a number of years."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Sounds like a case of ‘sour grapes’ to me, folks. I can’t see Sidney Crosby intentionally snubbing the Red Wings. That’s simply not who Crosby is.
Faldo’s Work Ethic Paves Way For Knighthood
13/06/2009 20:23
LOS ANGELES, June 12 (Reuters) - One of the most successful golfers of all time, Britain's Nick Faldo was arguably one of the most driven in his quest to reach the very top while in his prime.
His work ethic came straight out of the Ben Hogan manual and he piled up 30 European Tour titles, including six majors, before effectively ending his playing days in 2006 to embark on a new career as a television golf analyst.
He has since gone on to captain the European Ryder Cup team and, in one of his proudest moments, learned on Friday he would receive a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honors List.
"I was delighted to hear the news that I will be receiving a knighthood and am more than a little bit humbled to have been afforded this great honor," Faldo, 51, said in a statement.
"I believe I join Sir Henry Cotton as the only other professional British golfer to receive a knighthood so to stand alongside such esteemed company is incredible."
Fellow Englishman Cotton, who won three British Opens, was knighted in the New Year's Day Honors of 1988, shortly after his death in December 1987.
In the eyes of many, former world number one Faldo was among the most successful British sportsmen over the last half-century, single-mindedly dedicating himself to becoming golf's top player.
He became world number one for the first time in September 1990 and stayed there for 98 weeks.
HIGHER LEVEL
Despite having won 11 times on the European circuit by the end of 1984, along with a maiden U.S. PGA Tour title at the Heritage Classic that same year, he decided to remodel his swing with coach David Leadbetter to reach a higher level.
The move eventually reaped dividends when he hoisted the first of his three British Open trophies at Muirfield in 1987, famously parring all 18 holes in the final round.
Faldo won his maiden Masters title in 1989, beating American Scott Hoch in a playoff, and followed up with victories at the Masters and the British Open at St. Andrews in 1990.
He completed a hat-trick of British Open wins at Muirfield in 1992 where he beat American John Cook by a stroke.
Faldo's sixth and final major success came at the 1996 Masters where he trailed Australia's Greg Norman by six shots going into the final round but triumphed by five after closing with a 67 to Norman's 78.
The Englishman recorded his ninth PGA Tour victory at the 1997 Nissan Open in Los Angeles but that was to be the last individual title he would win anywhere in the world.
Previously considered aloof on the European Tour in his quest to become world number one, Faldo is now highly respected by many of Britain's younger players for whom he has acted as a mentor.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Cheez . . . does this mean I have to call Faldo, ‘Sir Nick’? Come to think of it, ‘Sir Jackass’ might be more appropriate.
Players Worried, LPGA Seeks Home For Championship
13/06/2009 20:22
The season's second women's golf major commences today with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety at Bulle Rock.
On the course, plot lines are plentiful, but so are nagging questions pegged to next year and the health of the LPGA in the face of the global economic downturn.
Last year, LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens announced that the tour was taking ownership of the LPGA Championship in 2010, a move that also ended 29 years of sponsorship by McDonald's.
The event is leaving Bulle Rock for a destination as yet unknown.
"No announcements this week," LPGA spokesman David Higdon told reporters yesterday. "We are getting a lot of interest from venues and a lot of interest from sponsors and have to figure out a way to marry those two."
Having a major event unscheduled worried some players.
"I am concerned," world No. 3 Paula Creamer told reporters on Tuesday. "I'm 22 years old, this is my fifth year on Tour, and we don't know where one of our majors is going to be. It's a scary thought."
Higdon said the timing of the event might change within a 2010 calendar that could be much different. Nineteen of the 29 events were up for renewal decisions at the end of the year, though he said the tour felt good about 14 of them.
The tour has lost six tournaments over the last year, Golf World magazine reported.
"We're running into super slow sales cycles and people are not making decisions right now," Higdon said. "Our goal is to announce the schedule in November at our Tour Championship and we'll roll out our full calendar."
Cristie Kerr, the tour's leading money winner this year, said the uncertainty was a sign of the times.
"I think there's definitely a level of concern for everyone, whether it's your mortgage that you're looking at or your portfolio, or your bank account or how many tournaments are up for renewal," Kerr said.
"I think it's on everybody's minds and everybody is wondering where the bottom is going to come."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Everyone in professional sport seems to ‘get’ the world economic and financial crisis, except Gary Bettman.
Vikings Will Soon Begin Work With Brett Favre
13/06/2009 20:22
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings are planning to send a trainer and a coach to Mississippi to work with Brett Favre, ESPN reported Friday.
The purpose of the trip is to assess the quarterback's progress since he had arthroscopic surgery two weeks ago to repair a partially torn biceps tendon in his right arm, the network reported, citing an unidentified source.
The report did not specify exactly when the meeting will take place or who will go. Favre must decide if he's healthy enough to play a 19th season. Vikings coach Brad Childress has said he's eager to see Favre throw.
Favre's agent, Bus Cook, didn't return messages left Friday by The Associated Press. A Vikings spokesman declined to comment on the report.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Yawn . . .
What's Blooming At Your House . . .
13/06/2009 03:59
'Tis
the time of year for spring blooms and our Lilac tree
is no exception. What's blooming in your yard? Send
your photos to mybirdie@telus.net
100 Pound Woman Eats 36 Hot Dogs
13/06/2009 03:59
NORFOLK, Va., June 7
(UPI) -- A 41-year-old Alexandria, Va., woman
has become a three-time Virginia Hot Dog Eating
Champion, contest officials
say.Sonya Thomas wolfed down 36 hot dogs in 10 minutes Saturday during the competition at MacArthur Center in Norfolk, Va., claiming the state title for the third time. She expressed disappointment she couldn't top her personal best of 39, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported.
Thomas, who weighs 100 pounds, told the newspaper, "You know, I'm not really that full. But we're eating so fast, it can make me sick. I could eat more if we had more time."
The Virginia contest, sponsored by Nathan's Famous Inc., has been held in Norfolk for seven years, said contest host Richard Shea, president of Major League Eating, an organization that oversees competitive eating events.
SINC SAYS:
Sheesh, she only weighs 100 pounds? That musta pretty much doubled her body weight.
Panda Cub Born To Bangkok Zoo
13/06/2009 03:58
A veterinarian holds
the newborn cub of female panda Lin Hui at
Chiang Mai Zoo, north of Bangkok May 31,
2009.
Lin Hui, a female
panda on loan from China has given birth to a
200-gram (7-ounce) baby panda in Thailand
after being artificially inseminated with her
partner's sperm for a second time, a zoo
official said on May 27, 2009
SINC SAYS:
Doesn’t anybody “do it” anymore? Just checking.
SINC SAYS:
Doesn’t anybody “do it” anymore? Just checking.
Strange Buildings Of The World . . .
13/06/2009 03:58
MOM: Talking About Cursing With A 12-Year-Old
13/06/2009 03:58
We're in the car,
hubby is driving, and my son and I are talking
about cursing.
Specifically, about how I heard his friends saying some words the other day that I BETTER NEVER HEAR coming out of his mouth. Words that begin with "S," and -- even worse -- "F."
"Oh, I would never say that," he assures me, his big brown eyes exuding sincerity.
Yeah, right. I don't believe that for a second. But while we're on the subject, I tell him that I am also sick of hearing him say "crap."
"Is that a curse word?" he asks.
It's a good question. It isn't a nice word, I explain, but it's not really a hard-core curse word. Either way, I tell him, I would prefer not to hear him say it.
At this point, my previously silent husband snorts ever-so-quietly.
"What?" I ask him.
"This lecture," he responds, "is ironic considering it's coming from the queen of cursing."
My son's eyes widen in surprise. Damn. My secret is out.
SINC SAYS:
I’ve heard more potty mouths on young women than young men lately.
More Rules Of The Universe . . .
13/06/2009 03:58
Experience is a
wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a
mistake when you make it again.
By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
It ain't the jeans that make your butt look fat.
There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.'
People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
You should not confuse your career with your life.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
Deal With ‘Riders Brings McGrath Back To Esks
13/06/2009 03:58
Offensive lineman hit with 'buyer's remorse'
Joe McGrath's return home to Saskatchewan lasted less than a week, as the offensive lineman requested and was granted a trade back to Edmonton on Thursday.
McGrath rejoins the Eskimos from the Roughriders in a deal that has a first-round pick in the 2010 Canadian draft and a player off Edmonton's negotiation list head east to acquire the familiar face.
McGrath returns to the team with which he started the first 13 games of the 2008 season. The six-foot-five, 300-pound offensive guard likely takes control of the spot vacated by Dan Comiskey, who retired last week, but he can also play tackle.
"A few days ago, Joe approached us saying he was having a case of buyer's remorse," said Riders head coach Ken Miller. "He apologized profusely, but said, for a combination of personal and professional reasons, he wanted to return to the Eskimos.
"Obviously, this is not what we had envisioned when Joe accepted our offer in February, but in football, as we do in life, we adapt and go forward. Some might suggest we should have played hardball with Joe, but having an unhappy player in your locker-room is not conducive to success."
Instead, McGrath is back here -- a strange twist considering the Esks had his rights prior to free agency and had made him an offer that was never countered.
"It never got to the point of (McGrath asking for) more with us," Esks general manager Danny Maciocia said of contract talks.
"I wanted to test free agency," admitted McGrath, before hopping on a plane for his return to Alberta on Thursday night.
"It was a short-lived five days, but I'm coming back to be an Eskimo."
The 28-year-old didn't want to get into any details as to why he's leaving Regina and only wanted to look ahead.
"It's a funny thing, football. I guess you should always expect the unexpected," he said, adding that he will be given a chance to earn back the starting spot he lost due to a knee injury in 2008.
"My expectations are to come back and be the player I know I'm capable of being, and to help this team win another Grey Cup."
The Esks gave up a lot in the exchange, but they know what they're getting in return.
"It is a valuable pick, but you have to ask yourself when we pick in the first round, 'Do we get someone as capable as Joe McGrath?' " said Maciocia, who got the call from Saskatchewan a few days ago.
McGrath was originally the second overall pick of the Stampeders in 2003 before the Eskimos scooped him off the Calgary practice roster.
He is kiddingly known around the dressing room as a Peter Griffin clone off Family Guy.
The Moose Jaw, Sask., native signed as a free agent with the
Riders in February after he failed to come to terms with Edmonton, where he spent the 2004-08 seasons.
In 2006, he started all 18 regular season games and was the Eskimos nominee for the CFL's outstanding offensive lineman.
In 2007, McGrath started all 18 games at left tackle for the Eskimos. He also played right guard during the 2005 Grey Cup championship season.
The move likely drops 2009 11th overall draft pick Gord Hinse down the depth chart, but he does have university eligibility remaining if it comes to that.
Eskimos cut two injured rookie prospects.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is a very strange move, indeed, by the Eskimos. Sorry, but I don't buy any of this 'buyer's remorse' crap, folks.
First, the Eskimos let McGrath go to Saskatchewan via free-agency, because they don't want to pay him what he wants. Then, they trade to get him back about three months later and, not only do they have to pay him what he was asking for as a free-agent, but they now also have to give up their first round draft pick in 2010 and a player off their negotiation list to get him back.
This is just another prime example of incompetent management (read: Danny Maciocia strikes again) by the Eskimos, folks.
Raw Talent From Out Of Africa
13/06/2009 03:58
Running back drafted in the fifth round this year didn't start playing football until Grade 11
As a child, Eric Lee used to run through the streets of his native Ghana, using the gift of athleticism his mother, Helena Asamoah, passed on to the little man.
"I remember everything," the Edmonton Eskimos recruit said about his early years in the west African country.
"My mom was a track runner. She was pretty good at it. I think that's where I get most of my speed," added the 26-year-old Weber State product, who is trying to crack the Green and Gold lineup as a running back.
"She ran until her early 20s. That's when my grandma said she should think about stopping and having kids.
"I remember as a little kid I used to race kids. That would be my little hustle to make money."
It was a task Lee would perform over and over again in a nation where young children aren't as fortunate as their North American counterparts.
He was five when he moved to the Toronto area, but he hasn't forgotten his roots. Far from it.
"I still have a lot of family back there. I keep in contact with a lot of them," Lee said, proudly. "My grandma is still back there and we had a big house where everyone stayed -- aunts, uncles, cousins.
"It's a struggle to get out of there. One thing I can say, however, is it's nothing like you see on TV. We had running water, lights, TV. There are places that look just like this," he said, referring to Edmonton. "But as far as day-to-day life is concerned, it's a struggle to get by every day.
"I'm just glad I got the opportunity to come to Canada and then the United States, and do something with myself. But I have a lot of friends back at home that didn't get the same opportunity."
Lee has a chance to live a dream, looking for spot on a Canadian Football League club. It's an image he would never had envisioned as a youngster, running on the poorer streets of Ghana.
"I come out here every day and it's tough," he said of his battles at the Eskimos training camp, where he is currently hampered by a shoulder injury.
"But I look at it this way: A lot of them (his friends he left behind) would give up their lives to be in the same position I'm in right now."
Lee's is a story of courage and constant learning.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Eric Lee is going to have a real tough time cracking the Eskimos' lineup as a running back.
Trial Date Set For ‘Riders’ GM Eric Tillman
13/06/2009 03:58
REGINA - The general manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders will face a trial starting Jan. 4 on a sexual assault charge.
Eric Tillman was not at the provincial courthouse in Regina when two weeks were set aside for the trial.
Tillman, who helped lead the Riders to the Grey Cup championship in 2007, has been on paid administrative leave from the Canadian Football League club.
Tillman, 51, was charged in early February after a complaint by a 16-year-old girl who alleges he sexually assaulted her last summer.
When the charge was first laid, the married father of two suggested there was more to the story and said he would rely on the justice system to air the facts.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I really thought this thing was going to be settled 'hush-hush' and out of court, folks. If Tillman is going to trial, that tells me he believes he is innocent.
Ex-NBA Referee Donaghy Attacked In Prison
13/06/2009 03:58
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was attacked in prison by a fellow inmate who claimed he had ties to the New York mob, a spokesman for Donaghy said Thursday.
The attacker hit Donaghy in the right knee with a stick or club in November at a minimum security federal prison camp in Pensacola, said Pat Zaranek of Executive Prison Consultants.
Donaghy, who pleaded guilty in New York to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commence, is serving a 15-month sentence.
"Verbally, there was a comment made that they were going to shoot him in the head and break his knee caps," Zaranek said.
Donaghy is a client of Zaranek's firm, which advises federal defendants -- mostly white collar criminals -- on how to cope with prison and make the transition back into society once they are released.
The attack left Donaghy with chronic pain in his knee and in need of surgery, which may not be performed until he is released, Zaranek said.
"He wants to get out for obvious reasons, but he also needs to get the knee fixed," Zaranek said. "So, he doesn't want the fixing of the knee to forestall the release."
Federal Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Traci Billingsley declined comment.
Donaghy reported to the camp in September. He said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for insider tips on NBA games, including some he worked.
Zaranek didn't know the attacker's name but said he was removed from the camp at Saufley Field, a naval installation, while Donaghy was given protective status. He said reports on the attack will not be made public until Donaghy is released.
Donaghy, 42, expects to be transferred to a halfway house in Tampa on June 17 to complete his sentence, Zaranek said. He's scheduled for release on Oct. 24. Donaghy lived Bradenton, just south of Tampa, before he went to prison. His wife divorced him after his arrest. They have four daughters.
"He's very remorseful," Zaranek said. "He has a rather compelling story, and it rather tragically illustrates the destructive power of addiction to gambling."
While in prison, Donaghy has begun working on a tell-all book on "how he picked those winners 70 to 80 per cent of the time and about the knowledge of the special relationships that exist between referees, players and coaches," Zaranek said.
"To understand his addiction, what transpired, you have to understand what led up to it during his 13 years in pro basketball and the whole culture of what he perceived as fraud and manipulation in the NBA," he said.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I guess the folklore about the mob having long-reaching tentacles is true.
Falcons Officially Cut Ties With Embattled QB Vick
13/06/2009 03:58
ATLANTA - The Michael Vick era in Atlanta is officially over.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the team relinquished its contractual rights to Vick on Friday.
"Michael remains suspended by the NFL," Dimitroff said. "However, in the event NFL commissioner Roger Goodell decides to reinstate Michael, we feel his best opportunity to re-engage his football career would be at another club."
The move was no surprise. Owner Arthur Blank has said Vick would not return to the Falcons.
"Everybody always knew that Mike wouldn't be playing with the Falcons," Vick's agent, Joel Segal, said. "He's really just taking it one day at a time."
The NFL had no comment on Vick's release.
Falcons spokesman Reggie Roberts said the team's release of Vick opens the door for other NFL teams to talk with the quarterback. Roberts said Vick can sign with another team even before the Goodell decides on clearing the way for Vick to play.
Goodell has not committed to reinstating Vick after the quarterback completes his 23-month sentence on July 20 for running a dogfighting ring. Vick is making $10 an hour as a construction worker for W.M. Jordan Co. while he serves the final two months of his sentence on home confinement in Hampton, Va. Vick was released from federal prison in Kansas on May 20.
Even while making it clear Vick had no football future with the Falcons, Blank has said he would be available to assist Vick.
"Our entire organization sincerely hopes that Michael will continue to focus his efforts on making positive changes in his life, and we wish him well in that regard," Dimitroff said Friday.
Vick was the Falcons No. 1 draft pick in 2001. He played six seasons with the team, but the Falcons moved on by making quarterback Matt Ryan their No. 1 pick last year. Ryan started every game as a rookie and led the Falcons to the playoffs.
Vick was the figurehead for the Falcons and, as a dual-threat quarterback, was one of the NFL's most dynamic stars from 2001-2006 before his sudden downfall.
Goodell said last month he would not make a decision on Vick before the end of his sentence.
"Once he's concluded that, I will make a judgment based on what he tells me and what I can determine from speaking to others and a final background check on this and make a determination at the right time," Goodell said.
Speculation about Vick's NFL future started even before his release from the Falcons.
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s going to be a real tough row to hoe for Michael Vick trying to get back into the NFL.
NHL Hockey Can’t Succeed In Phoenix
13/06/2009 03:58
A Toronto financial planner has added his data to the argument that an NHL club won't work in Phoenix.
The Coyotes rank 29th out of 30 NHL teams - ahead of only the St. Louis Blues - in market viability, according to Tri-Delta Financial CEO Ted Rechtschaffen.
His firm represents an American trying to sell his minority stake in a U.S.-based NHL club. Rechtschaffen crunched numbers to determine where that particular market ranked in the NHL. The club isn't Phoenix, nor is it relocating, he said.
The NHL, the Coyotes and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion head Jim Balsillie, who has made a US$212.5-million offer to buy the franchise and move it to Hamilton, awaited an Arizona judge's ruling Thursday on whether Balsillie can do that.
Pulling together five years' worth of data from ESPN, Forbes, the U.S. Census Bureau and the sports teams marketing bureau, Rechtschaffen concluded the keys for an NHL club's survival are location and gate revenue.
Without fan support, corporate sponsorship and television rights contracts die out, he said.
Judge promises ruling on Coyotes relocation issue.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I didn’t need a financial planner to tell me that NHL hockey can't succeed in Phoenix, folks.
New Retractable Roof Changes Wimbledon Forever
13/06/2009 03:58
It's safe to say there never will be another Wimbledon championship match quite like last year's epic produced by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Not because of the supremely high quality of play or the dramatic 9-7 fifth set or the record four hours 48 minutes of playing time -- those will be tough to replicate, certainly, but could happen again.
What won't be the same? The finish in near-darkness, thanks in part to rain that delayed the start of the 2008 final, then interrupted play twice. Those days are gone, because Centre Court at the All England Club is now fitted with a retractable roof, ready to be used when the tournament begins June 22.
"It's going to make a big difference," said the No. 3-ranked Andy Murray, Britain's best hope for its first male Wimbledon champion since the 1930s. "For fans and TV and stuff, it's the best, and also, I guess, for scheduling."
Ah, yes, scheduling. This is, lest we forget, the Grand Slam tennis tournament whose official record book, "Wimbledon Compendium," contains several pages devoted to cataloguing the history of rain during past fortnights.
There are headings such as "Days which have been completely rained off" and "First weeks badly interrupted by rain," as well as, simply, "Weather," a year-by-year recitation of what Mother Nature had in store for each tournament dating to 1922.
In that sense, rain delays are as much a part of the fabric of Wimbledon as grass courts, strawberries and cream, and the scheduled day of rest on the middle Sunday. And so, in a way, the addition of the roof represents something of -- and, really, only the latest example of -- a break with tradition at the All England Club.
Of all the recent changes -- eliminating the obligatory curtsy, adding video review of line calls, matching up the prize money for men and women, etc. -- nothing will have as real an effect on the way Wimbledon is run as Centre Court's new look.
"You can construct an argument that says anytime you change anything, that's a change with tradition. I think our fundamentals are very clear: playing on grass, white clothing, no advertising. I think, equally, if you are in the global-event industry, you need to look to modernize and to bring things forward," Ian Ritchie, the All England Club's chief executive, said in a telephone interview. "That's what we've consistently done at Wimbledon over the last few years."
The renovation of Centre Court, a building originally constructed in the 1920s, included the addition of 1,200 seats, raising capacity to 15,000.
The two-piece roof is translucent, so natural sunlight passes through, and there are also light fixtures that turn on when the stadium is closed. It takes about 10 minutes to open or shut the roof, which passed its tests during a dry run of exhibition matches on May 17 with Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters.
Everyone seemed to come away suitably impressed, and 1992 Wimbledon champion Agassi called the new setup "an environment that lends itself to some spectacular tennis."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Drat – more sporting tradition bites the dust!
Tiger Paired With Harrington, Cabrera At U.S. Open
13/06/2009 03:57
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Defending champion Tiger Woods will play the first two rounds of the U.S. Open with Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera, giving fans at Bethpage Black a chance to see the reigning champions of all four majors.
Harrington won the British Open and the PGA Championship last year, while Cabrera won the Masters in April.
U.S. Open officials decided against grouping the top three players in the world ranking, as they did last year at Torrey Pines. That would have put Woods with sentimental favorite Phil Mickelson for the second straight year, joined by Paul Casey.
Mike Davis, senior director of rules and competition for the USGA, told The Associated Press last week that a Woods-Mickelson pairing was an experiment, and it made sense to try it at Torrey Pines, where both played much of their junior golf.
Mickelson, who only decided to play the U.S. Open last week while his wife battles cancer, will have a mixed bag of memories in his grouping. He will play with Ernie Els, whom he beat by one shot for his first major victory at the 2004 Masters; and Retief Goosen, who beat Mickelson in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills the last time the U.S. Open was held on Long Island.
The rest of the grouping were a mixture of countries and colleges, identical surnames and young stars.
Rickie Fowler, an amateur from Oklahoma State, is to hit the first tee shot next Thursday on No. 1 and will have some alumni at his side. He is playing with Casey Wittenberg and Bo Van Pelt, who both played for the Cowboys.
The all-Clemson group can be found on the first tee at 1:03 p.m. on Thursday when Lucas Glover, D.J. Trahan and Kyle Stanley tee it up. Stanley, still in college, qualified this week in Ohio.
Vijay Singh will be in the same group with Jeev Milkha Singh. Players often say they're in jail when they find themselves in trouble on the golf course, so this will at least sound like it.
In addition Canadian's Mike Weir and Stephen Ames will be paired together and they tee off at 1:58pm et from the 10th tee.
U.S. Senior Open champion Eduardo Romero will be playing with Andres Romero, both from Argentina, not related. The USGA was able to mix-and-match with the grouping of Soren Kjeldsen, Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson.
The heartache group includes Kenny Perry, who has lost two majors in a playoff; Rocco Mediate, the runner-up at the U.S. Open last year after a 19-hole playoff against Woods; and Tom Lehman, who played in the final pairing at the U.S. Open four straight years in the 1990s without ever winning.
Sergio Garcia, Camilo Villegas and Adam Scott -- all in their 20s and good friends -- will be in the same group, but the star power of youth might come from a group that includes 23-year-old Anthony Kim and 20-year-old Rory McIlroy, both among the top 20 in the world. Joining them will be Dustin Johnson, a 24-year-old who has won twice since September.
Bethpage Black is a big, tough course at 7,246 yards, and one group should have the length to handle it. That includes J.B. Holmes and Alvaro Quiros of Spain, two of the longest hitters in golf.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Who really cares who is paired with whom in the first two rounds of the U.S. Open, folks?
An Update On That Council Non-Response Story
12/06/2009 01:50
Hi Don,
Regarding my open letter to the mayor and council last week, I did receive feedback from the mayor and two other council members after my most recent letter.
The feedback did somewhat relieve my earlier anxieties re. ” the Mayors Down Town Vision”. I have adopted a wait and see approach, hopefully as the mayor states, “The vision that I have described is not a Council vision, but rather the concepts that together I personally believe has the potential to be realized over the next 20 years”.
Regards,
Robert Hartley
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
It is good to see the mayor take responsibilities for his own vision. Whether or not council buys it is quite another story. But notice one thing in that we are now back in the territory of my “Likely not 50% of council will respond" prediction.
Ms. Average Has Sexier Body Than Playboy Bunny
12/06/2009 01:49
The orthodoxy says that you will be attractive with a certain waist-hip ration no matter how the rest of your body varies.
Forget the centrefolds - a scientific study has proven that the female body type Australian men find sexy is more likely to be found in Parramatta than Playboy.
The media is often criticised for giving women ‘unrealistic’ body expectations, but it turns out what men actually want in a female figure is an average, healthy build.
A new study, performed by Rob Brooks at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, has found the ‘ideal’ feminine shape is more common than conventionally thought.
Dr Brooks asked 100 male students to judge the attractiveness of 201 line drawings of female torsos with different hip, waist and shoulder measurements.
The men showed a preference for a waist-hip ratio of 0.7 – but only if the woman had had an average sized waist, hips and shoulders.
When the preferred line-drawings were compared to real-life women – including Playboy centrefolds, Australian escorts advertising and average Aussie women between the ages of 25 and 44 – the average women most closely matched the ‘ideal’.
Dr Brooks says the 0.7 ratio has been thought to apply no matter what the actual dimensions – but his study shows it’s more complicated than that.
“The orthodoxy says that you will be attractive with a certain waist-hip ratio no matter how the rest of your body varies,” he told New Scientist.
“Our study shows this is not the case.”
SINC SAYS:
I used to read Playboy many, many years back, but only for the articles.
I Love This Doctor!
12/06/2009 01:49
Q: Doctor, I've heard
that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life.
Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
Man Rents Closet Because Apartment Costs Too Much
12/06/2009 01:49
DELRAY BEACH, Fla.
(NBC) -- Almost everybody has heard the phrase,
"Home Sweet Home", but what about "Closet Sweet
Closet"?Sergio Santos' home is a closet.
Five and a half feet wide, by 14 feet long, or 77 square feet, to be exact.
"I was really struggling to pay for the place I used to live. I decided to look for something cheap," he explains.
The rent is $150 a month and to furnish his pad, Sergio spent a whopping $64.
"I have just become very well-fitted here," he said.
The "room" is equipped with a small microwave oven and a mini-refrigerator.
He shares a community bathroom with other renters on the same property.
The closet is part of a living space above a restaurant.
All the work has been done with recycled materials and, upstairs, the loft bedroom.
There was a time when Sergio even questioned himself.
"And I really feel that, Ok, I am not going to survive for too long here. I really thought I was going to give up," he said.
He did not give up, and instead found solace in his humble surroundings.
So although small in size, Sergio is thinking of the larger picture.
"That's is all about saving; it's about recycling; it's about optimizing my time," he says.
Sergio is happy, living with just what he needs, making one man's closet another man's castle.
SINC SAYS:
Hmmm, that empty closet in the spare bedroom is just sitting there doing nothing . . .
Jim Daley Happy To Be Back On The Field
12/06/2009 01:49
Former head coach spent last two years working as CFL adviser of football operations
As Jim Daley barked out another order, his arms began a recital of their own. Back and forth, up and down, round and round they swung, yet the man in perpetual motion couldn't have been more content.
After a three-year hiatus, Daley is coaching again and he's doing it with Richie Hall, whom he hired when he was the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1996-98.
Hall is now the Edmonton Eskimos rookie head coach; Daley the defensive co-ordinator.
"I like to compete and I like working with people who want to compete, so this is where I'm at home," said Daley, his voice hoarse, his smile sincere.
"I was going to get back into coaching this year and this is the job I wanted. It didn't even take me five minutes to give (Hall) an answer. There wasn't any transition to make for me, either; maybe 30 seconds. I just had to find out where the gate to the field was."
Daley last patrolled the sidelines in 2005, when he was overseeing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Fired at the end of a 5-13 campaign, he eventually switched directions and spent the last two years working as the Canadian Football League's senior adviser of football operations and officiating.
"I really enjoyed my experience with the league office, but I did get antsy," he said. "The last few years, I've had a handful of (coaching) opportunities but the timing wasn't right.
"This one was the perfect fit. It was the perfect time, it was a guy I know very well, and an organization I have great respect for. It was perfect. I'm very happy to be back on the field."
For Hall, it was an easy decision. After 30 years in the coaching ranks, Daley has become a defensive specialist and a coffee addict, according to those in the know.
"He's very enthusiastic, he likes his coffee ... he's got that personality that guys really take to," said defensive back Scott Gordon. "He's been around the league for so long. He's just a great fit."
"He keeps saying he's going to give up coffee, but he's been saying that since February," said Hall.
Daley hasn't yet decided if he'll be on the sidelines on game days or in the spotter's booth, but he is certain he won't be barking at the officials, even in the heat of the moment.
"Those men make far fewer mistakes than we as coaches and players do," he said. "But in the heat of the game, that's when I'm at my calmest. Where I get wired up is here (on the practice field) and after the game."
"He's what you call a union guy," said Hall, "and what I mean by that is he's loyal. He's a good football coach (and) he's happy to be here. There's a certain amount of jubilance ... but he has toned down.
"I tell people that this is a calm Jim Daley.
"But I like that excitement," Hall continued. "From the time he wakes up until the time he goes to sleep, he has one speed."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I look forward to a significant improvement in the Eskimos' defence this year over the Rick Campbell-led defences of past years.
Wreck Centre A Boost To McCauley
12/06/2009 01:49
Multi-purpose, $112.5M facility to be open for 2010 Grey Cup
Teresa Spinelli has lived and worked in the inner-city McCauley neighborhood her entire life.
She has seen problems caused by drug-trafficking and prostitution, as well as families struggling with low incomes.
On Wednesday, Spinelli witnessed the kick-off event for construction on the city's new multi-purpose recreation centre at Commonwealth Stadium, ushering in a welcome change for children and families of the area.
"Many of our children have had to endure an underprivileged lifestyle, which is only one of the reasons we're so excited about this project," said Spinelli, president of the Italian Centre Shop.
"As residents, we feel this community centre will provide our children and their families recreational access to a safe, clean, and vibrant centre."
The$112.5-million centre, funded by the city, the province and the Edmonton Eskimo Football Club, will be built at the stadium's existing sports and fitness centre.
It will feature a swimming pool, a field house with walking and jogging tracks, and areas for social and cultural activities.
"We feel this community recreation centre will go a long way to improve the livability, acceptance, growth, and enhancement of not only this community, but all of downtown, neighboring communities and the entire city as well," Spinelli said.
The centre is part of a $300-million plan for recreation centres to be built over the next 15 to 20 years in Clareview, Mill Woods, and the west and southwest.
"This is a commitment we need to make because we have to have facilities within each of the communities that our children can enjoy, our families can enjoy, and act as anchors to make sure our communities are solid," Mayor Stephen Mandel said. "This project, we hope, will help reinvigorate much of the area."
Doug Goss, the Eskimos board chairman, said the project "will truly be a new chapter in the evolution of Commonwealth."
Premier Ed Stelmach said this "has been a long time coming. We're going to see some great things in the future."
Parts of the new field house will be ready for the 2010 Grey Cup, being hosted in Edmonton. The rest of the centre is expected to open in early 2012.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Not only will the wreck centre provide a much-needed boost for the McCauley neighborhood, but the Eskimos will finally have that indoor practice facility they so badly need. And, unlike the big, black, money-sucking sinkhole, $ervu$ Place, there’s provincial and private dollars behind this facility.
Injuries Tough On Recruits Trying To Make Eskimos
12/06/2009 01:49
EDMONTON - The injury list at Edmonton Eskimos camp is getting longer by the minute, which could soon spell disaster. Especially if you’re a young recruit who hasn’t established his worth.
Rookie receiver Eric Ware has been out since main camp first began — due to a leg injury — and missing out on reps means he’s missing a golden chance.
“You don’t want guys missing big chunks,” said head coach Richie Hall. “It decreases their ability to be on the football field. The bottom line is you want to be ready to play and if you’re not ready to play, that’s the final evaluation.
“Especially for the young guys. We don’t know how you’d react in a game. You look great in practice, but practice is practice. How do you look against your opponent?”
It’s a determination that may never come for some of the injured recruits.
“It’s one of those one-man’s-misfortune-is-another-man’s-opportunity (situations) because we still have to practise,” stressed Hall. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but we still have to practise.
“Somebody that is not practising; someone else is going to take his reps and get better and get better and get better.”
In this instance, it’s receiver Efrem Hill, who battled back from a stitched-up finger that kept him out for a day and a half.
Linebacker Jason Kosec (back) is in the same boat as Ware, and running back Eric Lee (shoulder) has now missed some time.
Others sitting out Thursday’s camp session included: LB Maurice Lloyd (groin), OL Greg Wojt (knee), DB Jason Goss (undetermined) and FB Mathieu Bertrand (ankle). DL Jim Davis went down with an apparent burner, and OL Thaddeus Coleman was hobbling by day’s end.
The Esks released defensive back Emanuel White, another rookie who had been hampered by injury, on Thursday. They added receiver Sean Young of Cal-Berkley.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I hate training camp injuries – I just hate them.
Printers Wants To Return To Lions In Any Capacity
12/06/2009 01:49
Speaking publicly for the first time since his release from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, quarterback Casey Printers was making his case for a return to football in the CFL, specifically in British Columbia.
The former Lions pivot spoke to TSN analyst Glen Suitor on Vancouver radio station Team 1040 Wednesday, and shared his desire to return to the Leos' squad in any capacity.
"The best time of my football career, whether it be high school or pro, was when I was in B.C.," said Printers. "When we came in every day after losses (and) after injuries, we picked each other up, we were great to each other and we had an outstanding time in that locker room."
Printers played three seasons with the Lions from 2003-05 before leaving for the NFL. He returned to the CFL with the Tiger-Cats in 2007 amid much fanfare but struggled through two seasons before being released at the end of last season.
"When you're around a bunch of Lions, you act like a Lion," Printers said. "Wally (Buono) and his staff have a mentality of winning every single game. There's not a mentality of well maybe - we're going to win if you're onboard."
This past February, Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono said he would be willing to listen to Printers' interests in returning to the club, but insisted that it didn't mean he was interested in signing the former Most Outstanding Player.
"We've made commitments to our quarterbacks that I am very comfortable with," Buono said at the time. "Listening to anyone else doesn't change that."
The current quarterback duo for the Lions is Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson.
But Printers told Suitor that he was prepared to play any role with the Lions, should they show interest in his services.
"I will support any guy that's playing in front of me as I did in Hamilton," said Printers. "It's about the big picture – winning. There is nothing more important and it doesn't matter if I'm playing, if I'm a spectator, or if I'm watching from the sidelines; winning is the most important thing."
"I'm all about helping a team win and if I can do that in any capacity, then that's what I'm going to do."
The Texas native attended a Winnipeg Blue Bombers free agent camp in Florida this past April but no offer was made by the club.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
My, oh my, how the mighty have fallen, folks. This looks good on the egomaniac Printers. Personally, I hope the Lions tell him to take a hike.
Mickelson’s Return Adds Intrigue To St. Jude Storyline
12/06/2009 01:48
Will play in first tournament since wife diagnosed with cancer
With two of the biggest draws in the game returning to the PGA Tour, this week's St. Jude Championship can hardly be considered filler, sandwiched between last weekend's Memorial Tournament and next week's U.S. Open.
Normally, TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., is no more than a tune-up for the second major championship of the season for many, but this year the St. Jude's storylines are Phil Mickelson and John Daly.
Mickelson took an indefinite leave from the Tour on May 21 after announcing his wife Amy had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
His decision to return now was based on doctors saying the cancer had been discovered early and that surgery is scheduled for the first week in July, at which time the couple will know better what they're dealing with.
Daly is back from a Tour-imposed six-month suspension for a number of off-course incidents. While away, he has worked on his game, shed as much as 60 pounds following gastric surgery, and played on the European PGA Tour with some success, including a second-place finish at the Italian Open.
Daly, playing on sponsor's exemption this week, also will be modelling a new line of wild and colourful pyjama-like golf attire from Loudmouth Golf of Sonoma, Calif.
But all the serious interest will be focused on Mickelson and how he plays, with his wife obviously foremost on his mind, not only this week but at next week's U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., where in 2002 he waged an epic battle with Woods for the Open title before losing by three shots.
Mickelson met the media on Wednesday for the first time since news of his wife's diagnosis was made public, and the strain was obvious.
"I've never been this emotional where if I'm driving alone, or what have you, I'll just start crying," he said. "It's kind of a weird thing. I'm looking forward to having a four- or five-hour mental break where I force myself to focus on something else.
"I don't think it's going to affect how I play. I'm going to still play aggressively. It's just that off the course I've never felt something like this.
"I think it's as hard or harder for somebody on the side."
"I would much rather be going through it and doing it myself than seeing somebody I care about so much go through it."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s nice to see Phil back at work. We continue to wish Amy the very best as she battles breast cancer.
Cowboys Knew Of Earlier Canopy Collapse
12/06/2009 01:48
DALLAS -- The Dallas Cowboys knew when they hired Summit Structures LLC to build their now-ruined practice facility that a similar fabric structure built by the company for the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority had collapsed in a storm, according to a port official.
Greg Iannarelli, the port authority's chief counsel, said he was contacted by Cowboys official Bruce Mays not long after a warehouse built by Summit for the port collapsed during a snowstorm in February 2003. Iannarelli said the Cowboys were considering using Summit and were concerned.
"My recollection is they wanted to know what happened, and we weren't sure at the time," he told The Associated Press.
Summit Structures of Allentown, Pa., is a subsidiary of a Saskatoon-based firm called Cover-All Building Systems. The company received permission from the City of Irving to begin construction on the Cowboys' facility in July 2003. The 8,175-square-metre building fell in high winds last month, leaving a scouting assistant paralyzed from the waist down and injuring 11 others less severely.
Iannarelli said he had several other conversations with Mays, the Cowboys director of football operations, over the next three years. He said he also sent Mays a copy of a Philadelphia judge's decision in December 2006 stating that the warehouse's collapse was due to design flaws.
"We spoke about our position, what we believed was the cause of the collapse," he said.
Iannarelli confirmed the conversations after the port authority provided the AP with a page from his phone message log showing he was contacted by Mays on Sept. 25, 2006. The document was turned over to the AP in response to a request for information under Pennsylvania's Right to Know law.
Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the team would have no comment. Mays declined to discuss the conversations.
"If my name's on a (message slip) there, it means I must have talked to (the port), but I can't make any comment," he said.
The 9,476-square-metre warehouse at the Philadelphia port collapsed less than two months after it opened. The building was unoccupied when it fell.
Although the incident generated little publicity, it resulted in a protracted legal battle between the port authority and Summit. It ended with Common Pleas Court Judge Allan Tereshko ruling that the structure collapsed in conditions "that would have easily been tolerated ... had the building been properly designed and constructed." The company agreed to pay the port $4.8 million to settle the lawsuit.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The more the truth comes out, folks, the uglier this story gets.
John Daly Hungry To Resurrect Career
12/06/2009 01:48
Back on the PGA Tour for this week's St. Jude Classic after serving a six-month suspension, a leaner and hungrier John Daly has set his sights on working much harder to salvage his career.
The big-hitting American has played on sponsor's exemptions since losing his past champion category after the 2007 season and he has not won on the U.S. circuit for five years.
"I've wasted a lot of years," Daly told reporters at the TPC Southwind on Wednesday.
"I enjoyed doing it, but I see these guys work and work and work, and that's what I need to do."
The 43-year-old, a double major champion, has spent most of his adult life struggling with alcohol, antidepressants, gambling, binge eating and divorces.
Dubbed the 'Wild Thing' early in his career, Daly was banned from his home circuit in November for bringing the PGA Tour into disrepute after he was accused of being found drunk outside a bar.
Since then, he has worked hard on his game, played five events on the European Tour and lost 60 pounds in three months by way of a surgical implant and a strict diet.
"I weighed in last week at 219 and my goal is to get to 190," said the 1991 U.S. PGA champion and 1995 British Open winner, who had ballooned to nearly 280 pounds earlier this year.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
He looks good. Let’s just hope that ‘Big’ John Daly has finally got his life turned around.
Childress: ‘Stay Tuned’ For Ongoing Favre Situation
12/06/2009 01:48
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Eventually, the Minnesota Vikings will need to know: Is Brett Favre going to play or not?
The Vikings aren't showing any public impatience with the NFL's all-time leading passer, even though Favre's annual waffling over his retirement continues to cloud preparations for the season. Training camp starts in seven weeks.
"You have it lingering over your head, all day every day," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "Every time you turn on the TV, you see Favre, or you see something about Favre, or you see something about his shoulder, or you see him working out at the high school.
"You want to know what's going on, but at the same time that's something that we can't control so we leave it alone," Shiancoe said.
Even the uncertainty at quarterback -- will it be Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels or Favre? -- isn't enough to get coach Brad Childress to declare an end to the will-he-or-won't-he dance that's gone on for weeks.
"Do I need clarity on it? Again, it's hard to speculate," Childress said, reiterating Thursday he had set no deadline for Favre to decide.
In his fourth year in charge of the Vikings, Childress has a well-established reputation as a no-nonsense, detail-driven coach. As Philadelphia's offensive co-ordinator, his do-it-our-way message to a pouting Terrell Owens played a part in the star receiver's departure from the Eagles in 2005. With Minnesota, he has expressed disappointment when certain veterans skipped all or parts of the team's off-season workout program.
But Childress hasn't come close to suggesting Favre make up his mind soon. Asked if Favre can still be a great quarterback, the coach said this: "Don't know. Don't know. Stay tuned."
The Vikings have another organized practice Friday, their last scheduled activity until players are asked to report to training camp on July 29. The first full workout on the field is two days after that.
Childress said he called Favre last week, declining to elaborate on the conversation. With Favre's right arm reportedly recovering from surgery, Childress will surely want to see the 39-year-old throw before the team gives him a contract.
But when?
"That's down-the-road stuff," Childress said. "The guy's retired right now. You'd have to talk to him about that."
Favre hasn't spoken publicly since he retired from the New York Jets in February.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I don’t know about you, folks, but I’m getting very tired of the Brett Favre saga.
About That Item You Published . . .
11/06/2009 05:36
Euphoria . . .
Sure would like to try some of that Dogfish Head Breweries Sah'tea beer so I could experience "near euphoria". Although, come to think of it, being an avid beer drinker I experience near euphoria every time I pour a glass of the amber nectar down my dry, dusty throat.
As you may remember, as well as feeling euphoric, I also get funnier, smarter and better-looking after a pint or three of good old Canadian-made beer.
BC
(In Calgary)
SINC SAYS:
Some guys will do anything to try and get a laugh. (Or get their name on this web site.)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Illiteracy . . .
I have often suspected our council of being illiterate: only that would explain why they ignore us and their often uninformed decisions.
An Observer
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
You’ve noticed that too, have you? Most of our readers have as well.
Bee Swarm Traps Workers In NY Game Store
11/06/2009 05:36
NEW YORK (AP) —
Thousands of bees have swarmed outside a New
York City game store, trapping employees inside
for hours.
Worried employees looked out the window of the Manhattan store while talking on the phone as the bees clustered Saturday afternoon. A sign in the window warned: "Look! ... closed due to bee infestation."
Most passers-by avoided the GameStop store near Union Square, one of the city's busiest shopping areas. But Edward Albers tried to help. Dressed in regular clothes, he lured many bees into a box without getting stung.
Eventually, bee specialist Tony Planakis arrived in protective gear and used the scent of a queen bee to collect the rest of them.
The store has reopened for business.
The bees are being taken to hives upstate.
SINC SAYS:
I suppose Tony told them to buzz off.
The Best Part Of Aging . . .
11/06/2009 05:36
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4:00 a.m. and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50, 60 and 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.
I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.
Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.
Rules of the Universe
11/06/2009 05:36
Eat well, stay fit,
die anyway.
Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it. Embrace your differences. Love each other.
No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
Opportunities always look bigger after they have passed.
Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
Richie Hall Finding His Way
11/06/2009 05:36
As a position coach, the role was defined, the task always set. These days, Richie Hall is still trying to find his niche.
"You look around and walk around and you observe ... and try and find that balance because the coaches are here for a reason," said the Edmonton Eskimos rookie head man after another day of training camp.
"I've said this all along, and I'm serious about it. My job is to stay out of their way. I need to allow them to do what they do and allow the players to do what they do and just ride their coattails as long as I can." Hall has been zeroing in on segments of practice and has been in on all the meetings, so he can stay on top of everything. He doesn't anticipate making a swath of cuts until the after the final pre-season game, which will be played June 23 in Vancouver.
More walking wounded Camp took its toll again on Tuesday, with more players heading to the sideline.
Defensive back Bradley Robinson limped off in the first session, offensive lineman Greg Wojt left with a knee injury, and Garrick Jones, another O-lineman, was in and out of the drills while tending to a wonky shoulder.
DL Justin Cooper (groin), DB Lenny Williams (knee), LB Maurice Lloyd (knee), DB Emanuel White (ankle), LB Jason Kosec (back), and WR Eric Ware were all out for another day.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I guess it’s been quite an adjustment for Richie Hall going from an assistant coach to the head man here. Sounds like he’s starting to ‘get it’ though.
Nowacki In The Right Position Every Time
11/06/2009 05:36
Veteran receiver Nowacki always ready to 'answer the call' with steady, dependable play
Others can, and will, steal the spotlight with their fancy footwork and circus catches. But when it comes to sure, steady play, the Edmonton Eskimos have their man.
Again.
Andrew Nowacki is back in the receiving corps for his sixth season with the Eskimos.
"I'm not worried about catching 10 balls at practice, or anything like that. I just want to be solid and dependable and to let everything else take care of itself," he said after Tuesday's session had wrapped up.
"I know my role on the team and I'm willing to do everything that is asked of me.
"There are guys who make the big plays and guys who have to do the little things and the dirty work and if that's asked of me, I'm more than happy to do it." That role might lack the flash and dash that personifies the likes of Fred Stamps and Kamau Peterson and Maurice Mann, but it is an essential component. Receivers coach Jason Tucker, a pre-eminent pass catcher in his playing days, knows what he's going to get from Nowacki down after down.
Head coach Richie Hall, who used to defend the Tuckers and the Nowackis when he was patrolling the backfield, echoed the importance of having both weapons in training camp.
"Defensively, you can't take away everybody, but he'll answer the call. He's very valuable to our team," Hall said of Nowacki. "You take him away and then you really understand how much you miss him." Nowacki, 28, re-signed with the Eskimos on Feb. 9, just five days before he tied the knot. He's now married to Erica, making plans to get his master's degree in business, and seeing to it that this season doesn't end like the last one did.
There has been no shortage of changes since the Eskimos lost to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division final, starting with the hiring of Hall, but Nowacki hasn't changed his approach to camp.
He's not looking over his shoulder, unless it's for the football. He's just settling back into his role with the impressive crop that has been assembled. And he might just have a few more pranks up his jersey sleeve.
"I like to have fun," he said. "I mean, you see these guys more than anybody during the year. One thing leads to another ... so whenever anything happens, I'm usually the one who gets pointed at first.
"It's just that everybody is too tired right now. Soon enough." Nowacki and Stamps have had a history of stirring things up, but Nowacki was adamant he has yet to cook up anything. It's not like the time he taped up Stamps' gloves.
"They have a running thing going every year. They're doing something to each other all year," Tucker said.
In the meantime, there's a sure steady role to be played. Last season, in 18 games he played, Nowacki snagged 28 passes for 369 yards and twice made it to the end zone.
"He's dependable. Reliable. You can count on him," Tucker said.
"He's going to be in the right position every time. That's what you need -- somebody who's going to be consistent.
"I know I can always count on him being where he's supposed to be. Not only does he know what he's doing, he knows what everybody else is doing." "It's good to hit the ground running. Especially the way last year ended," Nowacki said. "Having that bad taste in your mouth all winter, from getting so close and losing such a tight game, sticks with you. Especially this time of year."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Andrew Nowacki is a very valuable Canadian receiver.
Michael Phelps Brings Star Power To Montreal
11/06/2009 05:36
Fourteen-time Olympic gold medallist jumps in Olympic Pool for Grand Prix Canada Cup on June 20 and 21
Michael Phelps will race in Montreal's Olympic Pool for no more than 31/2 minutes, total, on June 20 and 21, but there's no way to quantify the star quality being brought to town by the eight-time Beijing Olympic champion.
Phelps will dazzle before he ever dips a big toe in the chlorine of the 1976 Olympic tank for the 34th Grand Prix Canada Cup/Coupe du Quebec swim meet. Just as you'd expect for the man who made five-ring history last August in China, the first swimmer in Olympic history to win eight gold medals in a single Games.
With 14 gold -- Phelps won six at Athens in 2004 -- he's the winningest Olympian of all time. And now he's setting sail for 2012 in London.
The 23-year-old from Baltimore with the albatross wingspan overflows the marquee of this year's Montreal meet, a success story held since the mid-1970s.
The competition runs Thursday through Sunday the weekend after next for an entry of some 600 able-bodied and physically challenged swimmers.
On his first trip to Montreal since the 2005 world championships, Phelps's every stroke in the 100-metre butterfly Saturday and 100-metre freestyle Sunday -- morning heats and evening finals -- will be swum in the glare and the heat of a relentless spotlight.
It won't be the first time he's gotten a little attention. Phelps was scrutinized before, during and after his momentous Beijing performance, and more recently for a few what-was-I-thinking? extra curricular indiscretions during his post-Olympic decompression.
In his return to racing last month at a meet in Charlotte, N.C., back in training for just two months, a rusty Phelps was headlined to be -- horrors! -- "human" when he was twice beaten to the finish by world record-holders. His two solid victories in that meet almost drew yawns.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
No matter how close the scrutiny is that Phelps receives this weekend in Montreal, it will pale in comparison to when he was ‘bonging.’
Penguins Force Game 7 In Detroit For Stanley Cup
11/06/2009 05:36
Twenty-five years to the day after they selected Mario Lemieux with the first overall pick in the NHL draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins gave their fans another great moment to remember.
With The Magificent One and the final sellout crowd of the season at Mellon Arena looking on, the hometown Penguins played near-perfect hockey in a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final. With the win, the Cup won't be handed out until Friday night at Joe Louis Arena after a seventh and deciding game.
"It's an unbelievable opportunity," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby told reporters after the victory. "You know, we weren't thinking about last year at all. But, you know, we found a way to survive, that's what we had to do tonight. And now it's anyone's game. And, it's going to be a great challenge. They play great at home but we've got to battle and find a way to pull it off."
Historically, Game 7 in the final has favoured the home team, with the 1971 Montreal Canadiens and 1945 Toronto Maple Leafs being the only road winners in 14 occasions. And if Pittsburgh wants so much as a sniff of the Cup on the road, they'll need to dominate Detroit the same way they did for most of Tuesday night's must-win game.
The Penguins carried the play for the first two periods, outshooting the Wings 24-12 and keeping sustained pressure in the offensive zone with solid forechecking. They also got plenty of momentum in the first 20 minutes with Henrik Zetterberg and Valtteri Filppula going to the penalty box. But even with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin hovering around the net, they failed to capitalize early against Chris Osgood.
"He played well throughout the whole game," said Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom. "We need Ozzie to play the way he did. We know he's going to respond the same in Game 7."
The lack of goals didn't phase the Penguins going in the second period, as they continued their strong forecheck out of the gate. With all sorts of pressure in the Red Wings' zone, it finally paid off at the 51-second mark with Jordan Staal scoring his fourth goal of the postseason on a two-on-one rush.
"Both teams were patient, but also worked hard and battled for their opportunities," explained Crosby. "But when it's tight like it is, you've got to be responsible and wait for your chances. Then, like I said, it just comes down to execution. So we'll take that lesson from this game."
More from TSN.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Well, the Stanley Cup final is down to a one-game crapshoot, folks. And, believe me, anything can happen on Friday.
Mickelson Set For Emotional PGA Tour Return
11/06/2009 05:35
MEMPHIS - World number two Phil Mickelson can expect an emotional welcome from players, caddies and fans when he returns to the PGA Tour for this week’s St. Jude Classic.
The American left-hander has not competed since the Players Championship five weeks ago, having suspended his campaign last month after his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Mickelson has long been a fan favorite because of his spectacular shot-making and the amount of time he devotes to signing autographs and handing over golf balls to children.
His wife is also a popular figure on the U.S. circuit and the couple were overwhelmed by the support they received after news of Amy’s cancer first broke.
"It is hard to describe how much the outpouring of support has meant to us," Mickelson said after the Tour’s Wives Association urged players and their wives to wear pink during last month’s Colonial Invitational in a "Pink Out" of breast cancer support.
"We both had tears rolling down our faces. That is such an incredibly thoughtful gesture, not only for Amy but for the 200,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year."
A three-times major winner, Mickelson is playing at the TPC Southwind in Memphis mainly to prepare for next week’s U.S. Open in New York.
STRONG FIELD
The 38-year-old Californian heads a strong field in Memphis with four other players in the world’s top 12.
Fourth-ranked Spaniard Sergio Garcia is competing, along with Swede Henrik Stenson (sixth), Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (11th) and Colombian Camilo Villegas (12th).
Fellow American Justin Leonard is back in Tennessee to defend his title and, like Mickelson, he is using this week as an ideal warm-up for the U.S. Open.
"It’s a good way to get ready," Leonard told reporters in the build-up to Thursday’s opening round.
"Par is a good score and you’ve got to come here this week and grind out a lot of pars. That’s certainly going to be part of the task next week.
"And I enjoy coming here," added the Texan, tournament champion in 2005 and again last year after he beat Australian Robert Allenby and South African Trevor Immelman in a playoff.
"It’s laid back and obviously I like the golf course quite a bit."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I’m sure the St. Jude will be a very emotional tournament for Phil, as well as his fans. We continue to wish Amy all the best as she battles breast cancer.
Judge Says NHL Entitled To ‘Fee’ If Coyotes Move
11/06/2009 05:35
PHOENIX -- The future of the Phoenix Coyotes appears to rest on how much the NHL would charge Jim Balsillie for the right to relocate the insolvent team to Hamilton, and whether the Canadian billionaire is willing to ante up US$100 million or more to do it.
Judge Redfield T. Baum said during a riveting and often combative bankruptcy court hearing Tuesday that he believes the NHL has a right to demand payment for its territorial rights in Hamilton, and suggested he might force the league to establish a price by granting the motion to relocate the Coyotes in order to settle the bitter standoff.
When a lawyer for the NHL said there wasn't enough time to set the figure before a proposed June 22 auction date for the team if it's allowed to move, Baum warned "you may be forced to do that on a very expedited basis," and added later, "if that means this is over, it might be better for everyone."
Baum intends to consider the matter overnight "before letting everyone know sometime" Wednesday on how he wants the sides to proceed.
The amount is crucial for several reasons, as earlier in the day Balsillie lawyer Susan Freeman told the court her client would walk away if the fee was too exorbitant, something Richard Rodier confirmed on the courthouse steps once the proceedings had ended.
"I don't know if he would necessarily pay any (fee)," said Rodier, a Balsillie representative. "I did have a brief discussion with Jim about it this morning and the contract gives us the right to walk away if there's any transfer fee at all."
Should Balsillie walk away from a third attempt to buy an NHL team with his $212.5 million offer for the Coyotes, conditional on a move to Hamilton and closing by month's end, the other myriad thorny legal issues before Baum would not need to be solved since if not paid by the buyer, the relocation fee would leave too little money for the creditors.
And under that scenario, it appears the NHL would get its wish for a Sept. 10 auction for the club, with at least one more Coyotes season in Phoenix.
Freeman said she expects the NHL to demand $100 million as a relocation fee -- a number the league hasn't confirmed and that was blacked out in court documents -- and deputy commissioner Bill Daly refused to speculate afterwards on how much would be enough.
"I don't think we are prepared to put out a number," Daly told reporters. "That's something that is generally determined by the board of governors in the context of a relocation application and from our perspective, we have a couple of steps before we get to a relocation application."
Yet the figure emerged as the key issue after nearly seven gruelling hours of legal grappling over bankruptcy, antitrust, contract and commercial law. There appeared to be in excess of 40 lawyers either taking part or taking in the proceedings in courtroom No. 703, and when it was suggested the Coyotes don't have much value, Baum quipped that the more suits there were, the more something was worth, "and there are a lot of suits here today."
Baum was in many ways the star of the show, dropping witty one-liners and picking apart every single one of the many lawyers to argue before him. But his pointed questions and precise reasoning helped bring at least some of the other issues into focus.
He essentially dismissed the NHL's assertions of four expressions of interest from potential buyers interested in operating the Coyotes in Phoenix -- including Toronto Argonauts owners Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon, and Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf -- as little more than hearsay. He added there was only one real offer, that of Balsillie.
More from Canadian Press.
Balsillie: Judge's ruling brings Coyotes move closer.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
A $100 million ‘relocation fee’? That’s ludicrous. C’mon - this Judge Baum sounds like St. Albert City Council.
Woods ‘Yelling At The TV’ Supporting Federer In Open
11/06/2009 05:35
Tiger Woods enjoyed watching good friend Roger Federer finally win his first French Open tennis title.
A few hours before Woods was scheduled to tee off in Sunday's fourth round of the Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio, he made time to watch Federer's emotional breakthrough in Paris.
"I was pulling for him," Woods said after clinching his 67th PGA Tour title with a one-shot victory. "You know, it's fun to watch your friends go out there and play and compete. I get just as nervous doing that because they're my friends."
Federer, who had lost the previous three French Open finals to Rafael Nadal, crushed Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slams and become only the sixth man to win all four majors.
"I was as nervous as can be for him," said Woods, who has piled up 14 major titles in golf to trail only Jack Nicklaus (18) in the all-time listings. "A couple of times there, Soderling had break point in the third set. Roger is off a break, and I'm like: 'Don't lose this break!' I was yelling at the TV, the whole deal."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just as I was yelling at the TV, supporting Woods at the Memorial.
CFL Hits The Gridiron On TSN
11/06/2009 05:35
TSN gets Canadian football fans back on the gridiron on Canada Day with its prestigious and all encompassing CFL ON TSN broadcast campaign, featuring every single CFL game – including the playoffs and the Grey Cup.
All regular and post-season match-ups will air in High Definition on TSN HD, and games will also be available on demand at TSN.ca. Encore presentations of most games on TSN will air on TSN2 on a three-hour delay.
TSN's complete 77-game broadcast package is part of its exclusive multi-year deal with the CFL, which kicked off last year. Along with every game, CFL fans will be well-served this season with the return of the weekly staple, Wendy's Friday Night Football, plus the CFL on TSN Preview Show, the Grey Cup Playoffs, Grey Cup Saturday, and the season's marquee event: the 97th Grey Cup Championship from Calgary.
TSN kicks off regular season coverage of Canada's game on Canada Day (July 1) with an opening night doubleheader featuring Toronto at Hamilton at 7pm et, immediately followed by Montreal at Calgary at 10pm et in a rematch of last year's Grey Cup final.
Also starting the season in Calgary is the CFL ON TSN studio panel, as host Dave Randorf and analysts Chris Schultz, Matt Dunigan and Jock Climie are live, on location in McMahon Stadium. The panel will bring TSN's coverage full-circle in November, when they return to McMahon Stadium for the 97th Grey Cup.
In addition, joining the CFL on TSN broadcast team this season is recently retired Winnipeg Blue Bombers all-star receiver Milt Stegall.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It will be really interesting to see how Milt Stegall does as a broadcaster for TSN.
The Things That People Send Me . . .
10/06/2009 06:20
A Senior's Biker Bar . . .
How Twins Are Made . . .
A real man's BBQ . . .
How Twins Are Made . . .
A real man's BBQ . . .
Our Maid Asked For A Pay Increase . . .
10/06/2009 06:20
My wife was very
upset about this and decided to talk to her
about the raise. She asked: 'Now Maria, why do
you want a pay increase?'
Maria: 'Well, there are three reasons why I want an increase.' The first is that I iron better than you.'
Wife: 'Who said you iron better than me?'
Maria: 'Your husband said so.'
Wife: 'Oh.'
Maria: 'The second reason is that I am a better cook than you.'
Wife: 'Nonsense, who said you were a better cook than me?'
Maria: 'Your husband did.'
Wife: 'Oh.'
Maria: 'My third reason is that I am a better lover than you..'
Wife: (really furious now): 'Did my husband say that as well?'
Maria: 'No...the gardener did.'
Wife: 'So how much do you want?
Bra Codes . . .
10/06/2009 06:20
Bishop Sentenced For Church Bell Noise
10/06/2009 06:20
Says He Will
AppealPHOENIX -- A Phoenix church leader has received a suspended 10-day jail sentence because his tolling church bells violated a city noise ordinance.
Bishop Richard Painter said he will appeal.
The bells at the Cathedral of Christ the King in northwest Phoenix normally chime at the top of every hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Neighbors said the bells are too loud and ring too often.
In addition to Painter's sentence, the judge on Wednesday restricted chimes at the church to no more than 60 decibels for two minutes on Sundays and specific religious holidays.
SINC SAYS:
And I bet that motorcycles with straight pipes roar up and down the streets day and night. Where’s the justice?
9,000-Year-Old Brew Hitting Shelves This Summer
10/06/2009 06:20
This summer, how would
you like to lean back in your lawn chair and
toss back a brew made from what may be the
world’s oldest recipe for
beer?
Called Chateau
Jiahu, this blend of rice, honey and fruit was
intoxicating Chinese villagers 9,000 years
ago—long before grape wine had its start in
Mesopotamia.
University of Pennsylvania molecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern first described the beverage in 2005 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences based on chemical traces from pottery in the Neolithic village of Jiahu in Northern China. Soon after, McGovern called on Sam Calagione at the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Del., to do the ancient recipe justice. Later this month, you can give it a try when a new batch hits shelves across the country. The Beer Babe blog was impressed, writing that it is “very smooth,” and “not overly sweet.”
But that’s not the only strange brew Dogfish is shipping out this summer. Next week, the brewery will be bottling up the first large batch of Sah’tea for the general public—a modern update on a ninth-century Finnish beverage. In the fall, The New Yorker documented the intricate research and preparation that went into making the beer, which was first offered on tap at the brewery in May. In short, brewmasters carmelize wort on white hot river rocks, ferment it with German Weizen yeast, then toss on Finnish berries and a blend of spices to jazz up this rye-based beverage. Reviewers at the BeerAdvocate universally praised Sah'tea, comparing it to a fruity hefeweizen. One user munched on calamari as he downed a pint and described the combo as “a near euphoric experience."
And Dogfish is also bringing back one of their more unusual forays into alcohol-infused time travel. Called Theobroma, this cocoa-based brew was hatched from a chemical analysis of 3,200-year-old pottery fragments from the Cradle of Chocolate, the Ulua Valley in Honduras. Archaeologist John Henderson at Cornell University first described the beverage in 2007 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pushing the first use of the chocolate plant back by 600 years. Dogfish first sold Theobroma in May 2008, and the next batch—made from a blend of cocoa, honey, chilies, and annatto—will be on shelves and in taps in July. The chocolate beer was apparently too sweet for Evan at The Full Pint, who writes that it contained “a ton and a half of sugary sweetness” with “an insane amount of gooeyness left behind on the roof of your mouth."
SINC SAYS:
Too bad it’s only available in the USA. Would have been nice to try it here.
University of Pennsylvania molecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern first described the beverage in 2005 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences based on chemical traces from pottery in the Neolithic village of Jiahu in Northern China. Soon after, McGovern called on Sam Calagione at the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Del., to do the ancient recipe justice. Later this month, you can give it a try when a new batch hits shelves across the country. The Beer Babe blog was impressed, writing that it is “very smooth,” and “not overly sweet.”
But that’s not the only strange brew Dogfish is shipping out this summer. Next week, the brewery will be bottling up the first large batch of Sah’tea for the general public—a modern update on a ninth-century Finnish beverage. In the fall, The New Yorker documented the intricate research and preparation that went into making the beer, which was first offered on tap at the brewery in May. In short, brewmasters carmelize wort on white hot river rocks, ferment it with German Weizen yeast, then toss on Finnish berries and a blend of spices to jazz up this rye-based beverage. Reviewers at the BeerAdvocate universally praised Sah'tea, comparing it to a fruity hefeweizen. One user munched on calamari as he downed a pint and described the combo as “a near euphoric experience."
And Dogfish is also bringing back one of their more unusual forays into alcohol-infused time travel. Called Theobroma, this cocoa-based brew was hatched from a chemical analysis of 3,200-year-old pottery fragments from the Cradle of Chocolate, the Ulua Valley in Honduras. Archaeologist John Henderson at Cornell University first described the beverage in 2007 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pushing the first use of the chocolate plant back by 600 years. Dogfish first sold Theobroma in May 2008, and the next batch—made from a blend of cocoa, honey, chilies, and annatto—will be on shelves and in taps in July. The chocolate beer was apparently too sweet for Evan at The Full Pint, who writes that it contained “a ton and a half of sugary sweetness” with “an insane amount of gooeyness left behind on the roof of your mouth."
SINC SAYS:
Too bad it’s only available in the USA. Would have been nice to try it here.
Bear Cub Gets Bird Feeder Stuck On Its Head
10/06/2009 06:20
The cub's mother made it difficult
for rangers to get close
It was no honey pot like in Winnie the Pooh but a bear cub in Wisconsin was spotted with a bird feeder stuck on its head.
A landowner in the northwestern part of the state told the state Department of Natural Resources about the cub over Memorial Day weekend. But the mother was so protective that DNR officers couldn't get near the cub, who was still able to climb a tree.
When the DNR set out a live trap this week, it caught both the cub and the mom. The feeder was found in pieces next to them, possibly chewed apart by the mom.
Both bears were released into the woods.
SINC SAYS:
Much ado about nothing as Ma Nature once again solved her own problems.
Strange Buildings Of The World . . .
10/06/2009 06:19
Ferdinand Cheval Palace a.k.a Ideal Palace - France
The Basket Building - Ohio, United States
Kansas City Public Library - Missouri, United States
The Basket Building - Ohio, United States
Kansas City Public Library - Missouri, United States
Replacement Parts In Stock
10/06/2009 06:19
Eskimos don't have to look further than Mann, Stamps to fill key receiving roles vacated by Tucker and Campbell
The loss of receivers Jason Tucker and Kelly Campbell has created quite a stir in Eskimoland.
Tucker's retirement and subsequent move to the coaching staff, plus Campbell's departure for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, not only took away a great deal of speed, but also eliminated some good hands from the Edmonton Eskimos lineup.
Both players represent tremendous losses at the receiver position, but the Eskimos don't have to look far for replacements. In fact, they've been right here under everyone's noses for quite some time.
In Fred Stamps and Maurice Mann, the Eskimos have a pair of such talented receivers that they may hardly miss a beat on a regular basis.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I want it all on me," said Mann, a six-foot-two, 190-pound wideout.
"It's a team game, but when it comes down to wanting someone to make that play, my hand is raised first. I'm healthy and ready to go, and I haven't thought about anything but football." Their Canadian Football League careers are eerily similar in that they both enter Year 3 with the Esks, but neither has finished a full season.
Stamps played 14 games in 2008 before an ankle injury took him out of the lineup. In 2007, he played in nine games and spent five on the disabled list when he underwent an appendectomy in mid-season.
Mann first joined the Esks at the end of the 2007 season and played in the last three games, recording nine receptions for 127 yards. He signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins during that off-season and was a late training camp cut.
He rejoined Edmonton again in September and finished with 31 catches for 420 yards and four touchdowns. His best performance came in the final regular-season outing, snaring eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. In the playoffs, Mann had 10 catches for 71 yards.
"Yeah, technically, this is my first full season. I'm so excited, it almost doesn't make any sense," he said of parachuting in and out of Edmonton.
It's almost as if he has to prove himself all over again.
"I always feel like I have to prove myself to people. More to myself than anything, but it's all about getting better. I'm always trying to prove that I'm getting better," said Mann.
The same holds true for Stamps, who has looked very sharp early in training camp after signing a two-years-and-an-option contract extension in late January.
"I feel as though you always have to prove yourself, you can't come in here and slack it," said the six-foot, 188-pound slotback. "Everybody has to compete because they always bring in good talent.
"You can't lay back and think that you're going to have something given to you. You always have to do the work." Both players are expected to play big roles on a team that forfeited some star receiving power. As coach Tucker put it: "It's not like we're missing anything. We have the pieces all here." But the two departed receivers continue to be the hot topic.
"Tuck and Kelly are both big losses," admitted Stamps. "Me and Mo just have to step up to the plate. We both have the same goal, it's not about individual stats. We just want to do whatever it takes to win." So the spotlight shifts to the two players fans are familiar with.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
One thing I’ve learned as a 38-year Edmonton Eskimo season ticket holder is that life goes on, folks. Life will go on after Jason Tucker and Kelly Campbell. No player is ever irreplaceable, folks. Heck, in a couple of years Eskimos fans will be asking, “Kelly who?”
Brent Sutter Resigns As Coach Of New Jersey Devils
10/06/2009 06:19
Brent Sutter has stepped down as head coach of the New Jersey Devils, citing personal and family reasons.
Sutter has a year left on his contract with New Jersey.
"I resigned my position as head coach and if there is anything that needs to be done I'll be there for them," Sutter told the Canadian Press on Tuesday.
If Sutter is to become a candidate for the vacant Calgary Flames' head coaching position, the Flames would have to ask permission from New Jersey Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello to speak with Sutter.
Lamoriello would be within his rights to refuse that permission because Sutter owes the Devils a year on his contract and, technically, if he's going to coach in the NHL next season it must be for the Devils.
But if Lamoriello wanted to effectively let Sutter out of the final year of his contract, Lamoriello could do so by simply giving permission to the Flames to talk to Sutter.
NHL rules do not permit for compensation so if Lamoriello were to grant permission, he would be doing so knowing he would be freeing Sutter of his contractual obligations in New Jersey.
That scenario, were it to play out, would pave the way for Sutter to coach in Calgary.
If not, though, Sutter would be content knowing that he's back in Red Deer with his family and focusing on his ranch and his Western Hockey League franchise, the Red Deer Rebels.
At the end of the day, it's Lamoriello who holds the cards on whether Brent Sutter is a candidate in Calgary.
Sutter, who was brought to New Jersey on July 13, 2007, spent two seasons behind the Devils' bench compiling a record of 97-56-11. He led the team to the post-season both years, but failed to move on past the first round, most recently falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
Prior to his time in New Jersey, Sutter served eight seasons as the owner, president, general manager, and coach of the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Don’t be surprised to see Brent Sutter behind the Calgary Flames’ bench next season. I still think he would have looked awfully good behind the Oilers’ bench.
Hall Delivers On Promise, Hires Former Teammate
10/06/2009 06:19
New defensive backs coach Hairston brings CFL, NFL playing experience to table
There will be a new look to the Edmonton Eskimos secondary in 2009 but, in a certain way, it will be comfortably deja vu for the club's new defensive backs coach, Stacey Hairston.
That's mainly because the 41-year-old Hairston played alongside Eskimos rookie head coach Richie Hall for three years in Saskatchewan in the early 1990s.
If you're going to install a new defensive system, it surely makes sense to have like-minded people doing the hands-on coaching. For Hall, that means having former Saskatchewan and Winnipeg head coach Jim Daley as defensive co-ordinator and Hairston supervising the secondary.
"Me and Richie held down the left side there in 1990-91," Hairston said, chatting amiably after practice on a wet, raw Monday.
"At that time, Richie was a seasoned veteran, I was a rookie coming into the league, so he was the one who kind of took me under his wing and was teaching me and helping me out as far as technique and stuff like that." Hairston played corner for two years and defensive halfback for a third year in Regina, before playing two seasons with the NFL's Cleveland Browns.
Obviously, the money and the challenge of the NFL were important to Hairston, but for sheer enjoyment, the CFL was a fine, if nerve-racking place to be a defensive back.
The CFL was loaded at quarterback in the '90s, with Doug Flutie, Tracy Ham, Kent Austin, Matt Dunigan, Damon Allen and Danny Barrett filling the skies with footballs aimed at athletes like Raghib (Rocket) Ismail, Stephen Jones, Darren Flutie, Don Narcisse, David Williams, Earl Winfield and Allen Pitts.
"It was a shootout every week," Hairston recalled. "It was never a dull moment playing corner in the CFL in those days." On first reference, what has changed in how defensive backs cover their men in the CFL in '09? "You probably see a little bit more creativity on offence as far as bunches and clusters (formations) and motion," Hairston said. "Of course, there has always been motion, especially back in the day with Toronto, with Ismail and Clemons." The current landscape is not unlike the '90s, with QBs like Anthony Calvillo, Kerry Joseph, Ricky Ray, Buck Pierce and Henry Burris on the boil, throwing to Ben Cahoon, Jamal Richardson, Geroy Simon, Ken-Yon Rambo, Fred Stamps, Kamau Peterson, Jeremaine Copeland and Weston Dressler.
Hairston has more than a, beg pardon, passing acquaintance with the current situation. An assistant for the past 12 years at his alma mater, Ohio Northern University, Hairston has kept in regular touch with Hall.
In 2008, Hairston was a guest coach with the Roughriders in Saskatchewan, and the one-time backfield partners have had a tacit understanding through the years that if either one got a head coaching job, there would be an opening for the other on his staff.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Can the Eskimos’ defensive secondary really be any worse than it’s been the last couple of years with Rick Campbell in charge? I think not. Maybe Hairston will actually make some improvements.
Canadian Hill Wins Nicklaus Award As Top Golfer
10/06/2009 06:19
DUBLIN, Ohio -- Canadian Matt Hill, the North Carolina State sophomore who won the NCAA golf championship last month, was presented with the Jack Nicklaus award over the weekend.
The honour is given each year to the best U.S. college players in NCAA Division I, II and III.
Nicklaus handed out the awards Sunday before the final round of the Memorial, the PGA Tour event he hosts at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Hill, a native of Bright's Grove, Ont., who is fourth in the world amateur rankings, claimed a two-stroke victory at the NCAA championship at the Inverness Country Club in Toledo, Ohio in late May. It was his eighth victory of the season and seventh win in his last eight tournaments.
Later Monday, Hill missed the cut in U.S. Open qualifying at Columbus, Ohio, after carding a 73-70 for a two-round total 143.
Duval qualifies for U.S. Open, but Matt Hill does not.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Congrats to Matt Hill. Winning the Jack Nicklaus award as the NCAA’s best golfer is indeed a great honor. It’s too bad that Hill couldn’t have qualified for the U.S. Open as well.
Sterling Could Use Some Boxing Lessons
10/06/2009 06:19
Gee, maybe Dee Sterling is taking boxing lessons on the side from Adam Braidwood? The Canadian defensive lineman, who could eventually plug a hole left by Braidwood failing his medical and going on the nine-game injury list, came to blows with non-import offensive lineman Gord Hinse late in the opening session at Edmonton Eskimos training camp on Monday.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind a couple of boxing lessons," Sterling said when ribbed about it afterwards. "Nah, it's just football and trying to compete. You're not out making enemies." In fact, it's the opposite as the two players, drafted 11th and 12th overall last month, also have the same agent.
But push came to shove, which eventually came to blows, during drills. Sterling, from the Queen's University Golden Gaels, and University of Alberta Golden Bears product Hines started throwing punches, and veteran D-lineman Dario Romero wasted little time getting in the melee.
"I don't start fights, but I don't back down from them," said Hines. "It's just football. It happens. I play an aggressive style and it comes with that and I have no problem with it. That's the way football is played." No surprise there. In fact, what was shocking was the first scrap didn't come till Day 2.
"You know what; five-seven (No. 57, Hines) was doing a lot of extracurricular activity stuff out here. I gave him a warning, and I said it nicely, we don't do that out here or else," said Romero. "Honestly, it's good for team camaraderie. It makes the O-line come together, it makes the D-line come together." Exactly right, agreed head coach Richie Hall, who wasn't exactly enamoured with the fight, but hardly crushed.
"You like it and you don't like it," said Hall. "You like it for the fact that they are competing and they get irritated. But you don't like it for the fact they have to maintain their composure because it translates to a game, where suddenly you get kicked out or you jeopardize the team with penalties." Sterling wasn't backing down.
"Emotions run wild. You're competing hard and you get caught up in the game. It's football, right? It's not paddy-cake," he said. "It's a matter of competing, trying to show the other one off; offensive and defensive lines, all day long." Enough said.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
It’s nice to see that, once again, the Esks are running a ‘spirited’ training camp. As Edmonton Journal sports reporter Mario Annicchiarico suggested, maybe Adam Braidwood could give Sterling a couple of free boxing lessons? He’s not doing anything else right now.
Favre’s Family Books Rooms For Packers-Vikings
10/06/2009 06:19
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre's family is ready for his return to Green Bay if he winds up playing for the Minnesota Vikings.
Favre's family and friends have booked 25 to 30 rooms at the Midway Motor Lodge near Lambeau Field for the weekend of the Nov. 1 Vikings game at Green Bay, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
The quarterback's family and friends often stayed at the hotel during Favre's final years with the Packers, Midway manager Doug Warpinski told the newspaper. Warpinski declined comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old Favre retired in February for the second time, blaming a partially torn biceps tendon for his poor play for the New York Jets. The three-time NFL MVP reportedly had surgery on his right shoulder in May.
The Vikings have expressed interest in bringing him back for a 19th season.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
With family like that, who needs enemies, folks?
John Daly Fails To Qualify For U.S. Open
10/06/2009 06:19
GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - John Daly makes his return to the PGA Tour this week.
His return to the U.S. Open will have to wait at least another year.
In his first time competing in America since the PGA Tour lifted his six-month suspension, Daly managed only four birdies over 36 holes of a U.S. Open qualifier Monday.
He shot 1-over 143 and didn't come close to getting one of 13 spots available in Tennessee.
"My feet are tired," Daly said after politely declining an interview with a Memphis TV station.
Daly was awarded a sponsor's exemption for the St. Jude Classic, which starts Thursday, and he took one positive out of two mediocre rounds at Ridgeway (70) and Germantown (73). At least it helped him make the transition from playing in Europe.
"Being over there for five weeks, the greens are so much slower there and I wasn't used to the speed," he said later. "I haven't putted on Bermuda greens in a long time. Boy, talk about not even sniffing a putt."
He'll have to change his clothes when he gets back on the PGA Tour, though.
One of the charms of U.S. Open qualifying is that all players are allowed to wear shorts.
Daly stood out on this steamy day, wearing knee-length shorts with a blue-and-white checkered pattern.
But he looked slimmer than he has in years after a stomach surgery in February that limits his appetite. Daly said he weighed 218 pounds when he checked on Sunday.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
This is really unfortunate. I was looking forward to seeing the ‘new’ John Daly at Bethpage Black next week.
Michael Vick Back In Bankruptcy Court
10/06/2009 06:19
NORFOLK, Va. -- Suspended NFL star Michael Vick has a deadline of July 2 to tell a bankruptcy judge how he plans to pay back his creditors.
A federal bankruptcy judge in Virginia set the date for a new plan at a hearing Tuesday.
Judge Frank Santoro rejected Vick's initial bankruptcy plan in April. At the time, Santoro said Vick should sell some of his vehicles and one or both of the expensive homes he wanted to keep. The judge also was concerned that the plan depended on Vick's return to the NFL.
League Commissioner Roger Goodell has not said whether he will lift Vick's suspension.
The judge scheduled an Aug. 27 hearing to confirm or reject the new plan.
Vick is under home confinement for the last two months of his sentence for bankrolling a dogfighting ring.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Details, details, details, folks, . . .
100% Of City Council Snub Taxpayer's Questions
09/06/2009 01:20
Hi Don,
Last week I sent an information request to each council member in the form of seven questions. You also posted the message under the heading “Open Letter To Our Council Members” on St. Albert’s Place, adding your comment that “no more than a 50% response rate should be expected”. Well Don, you were slightly out with your prediction, how about 0%?
That seven of our elected representatives decline to answer a personal e-mail request for information is somewhat disturbing. That these same representatives decline to answer an open letter request for information is completely unacceptable.
Here’s my interpretation of their non-response to my request for information. I have included the original question.
1. Do you agree that you were elected to office to represent the residents of St. Albert?
We dance only to the tune of the Puppet Master.
2. Have you sought public opinion (canvassed) regarding this issue?
Unnecessary and may leave people with the impression that we actually care.
3. What is the cost estimate for this project?
No matter, why do we need to know that, we approved Ray Gibbon Drive without a financial plan in place.
4. From where will the funds be realized?
See answer to question #3. Also, when all else fails as always, the residents of St. Albert.
5. Will you support a plebiscite to determine the outcome of this project?
What and see our vision shattered, no way!
6. Are you confident enough, to make this an election issue?
Hopefully by that time approvals will be in place already.
7. Can you give assurance that a new civic building is not, and will not, be part of equation?
Advised by the Puppet Master not to respond to this question.
(I state clearly that the answer’s provided are purely of a speculative nature, at least I hope so).
So there you have it Don. See what happens when an overly active imagination comes face to face with non-communicative officialdom?
Regards,
Robert Hartley
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Not only is it unacceptable Robert, but as you so correctly note it is downright disturbing that our elected representatives have so much conceit and disdain for the very voters who pay their salaries and elected them. Shame on the whole bunch of them. Not one of them deserves to be reelected.
Hold The Presses!
09/06/2009 01:20
Some Things Never Change . . .
09/06/2009 01:20
Two guys, one old
timer and one young guy, are pushing their
shopping carts around Costco when they collide.
The old timer says to the young guy, 'Sorry about that. I'm looking for my wife, and I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going.
'The young guy says, 'That's OK. It's a coincidence. I'm looking for my wife, too. I can't find her and I'm getting a little desperate.'
The old guy says, 'Well, maybe we can help each other out. What does your wife look like?'
The young guy says, 'Well, she is 24 yrs old, tall, with blonde hair, big blue eyes, long legs, big boobs, and she's wearing tight white shorts, a halter top and no bra. 'What does your wife look like?'
The old timer says, 'Doesn't matter, let's look for yours.'
Most old timers are helpful like that!
Bird Uses Body As Dam To Stop Water Soaking Chicks
09/06/2009 01:19
The female thrush's
body is semi-submerged in the water of the
gutter as she holds back the flow, protecting
the nest and her chicks Photo:
SOLENTThe Mistle Thrush had built her nest on top of a downpipe, blocking the water's passage and causing the gutter to flood.
But desperate to protect her young, she puffed herself up to twice her size and sat in the drainpipe to stop the tide of rain water swamping the nest.
She was so occupied with her task that her mate was left to feed her and their young.
The images were captured by amateur wildlife photographer Dennis Bright at a house in Fareham, Hampshire.
Mr Bright said he was astounded by the female bird's behaviour.
"The nest was tucked away from the weather in the shade of the roof but it was so close to the downpipe the gutter flooded when it rained.
"It was only a matter of seconds before the pipe flooded, and water cascaded over the sides."
Mr Bright said he was amazed by the bird's ingenuity.
"She had to come up with a solution so she puffed herself up so she was twice the size of her mate and used her body as a cork to stop the water - it was absolutely amazing.
"She was very dedicated, sitting there even when the rain was hammering down. Then every half an hour she would get out, dry herself off and come back.
"The male was doing most of the work - feeding her and the chicks when she was sitting in the pipe. I feel so lucky to have witnessed something so rare and unique."
Hester Phillips, from the RSPB, said she had never seen such a situation.
"We've heard of them nesting in some unusual sites before, namely on the top of traffic light, but we've certainly not come across anything like this before.
"Birds can be amazingly hardy creatures, their endurance is incredible - especially when protecting their young."
SINC SAYS:
That thrush must be part duck. A thruck maybe?
Boys To Get Credit Card For Condoms
09/06/2009 01:19
BOYS as young as 12
are to be issued with condom “credit cards”
allowing them to pick up free contraception at
football grounds, barber’s shops and scout
huts.Condoms will be distributed at places where boys congregate, to spare them the embarrassment of visiting sexual health clinics or GPs’ surgeries or facing a shop assistant at a chemist’s counter.
They will be able to collect the condoms by showing a plastic card issued to them after they have attended a safe-sex lesson, according to new government guidance. Boys who take advantage of the scheme will not have to give their names or answer questions about their sex lives.
The scheme is intended to cut teenage pregnancies and persuade boys to take greater responsibility for contraception.
However, critics believe it will encourage children to be sexually active from a younger age. Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe and the government has failed in its pledge to halve rates of pregnancy in girls under the age of 18.
The plastic cards are already used by some local authorities, but will be made available to all boys in Britain aged 13 and over after the guidance is published in the autumn.
SINC SAYS:
Another asinine idea from the do-gooders of the world. Why not let kids be kids without all the pressure? And speaking of pressure, wanna bet most of ‘em get filled with water and dropped from high places on unsuspecting adults?
Miami Beach Seeks To Evict Bicycle-Riding Rooster
09/06/2009 01:19
For offense of
crowing
at the break of
day
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Miami Beach tolerates all kinds of eccentricity, but the south Florida playground of the rich and famous draws the line at a bicycle riding rooster named Mr. Clucky.
The white bird who perches on his owner's bike has become a favorite subject of tourist photos. But he's been ordered out of town for his cacophonous crowing every day at 6 a.m.
A code enforcement officer ticketed owner Mark Buckley on May 27 for keeping a farm animal. Buckley faces a $50 fine and an order to get rid of the famous fowl.
Never mind that the celebrity bird was grand marshal of last fall's King Mango Strut in nearby Coconut Grove.
Buckley could receive repeated citations and higher fines if he doesn't comply. But city officials say an arrest is not likely.
SINC SAYS:
This story is really something to crow about.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Miami Beach tolerates all kinds of eccentricity, but the south Florida playground of the rich and famous draws the line at a bicycle riding rooster named Mr. Clucky.
The white bird who perches on his owner's bike has become a favorite subject of tourist photos. But he's been ordered out of town for his cacophonous crowing every day at 6 a.m.
A code enforcement officer ticketed owner Mark Buckley on May 27 for keeping a farm animal. Buckley faces a $50 fine and an order to get rid of the famous fowl.
Never mind that the celebrity bird was grand marshal of last fall's King Mango Strut in nearby Coconut Grove.
Buckley could receive repeated citations and higher fines if he doesn't comply. But city officials say an arrest is not likely.
SINC SAYS:
This story is really something to crow about.
Strange Buildings Around The World
09/06/2009 01:19
The
Crooked House - Sopot , Poland
Forest Spiral - Hundertwasser Building - Darmstadt , Germany
The Torre Galatea Figueres - Spain
Forest Spiral - Hundertwasser Building - Darmstadt , Germany
The Torre Galatea Figueres - Spain
Ricky Ray Still Pushes Esks Buttons
09/06/2009 01:19
Green and Gold not about to abandon passing game despite talents of Lumsden, McCarty
The Edmonton Eskimos' all-Canadian backfield project has training camp optimists envisioning bloodied opposition linebackers lying vanquished at the feet of Calvin McCarty and Jesse Lumsden.
And it's only Day 2.
They are both powerful and elusive enough to rack up impressive yardage, provided the offensive line wins more ground than it loses in the trenches and Lumsden somehow stays healthy past Labour Day.
But pardon me if I don't pencil in either one of them for 1,000 yards just yet. The running game's larger issue beyond Lumsden's durability is that of opportunity. There is only one football and recent history tells us highly paid quarterback Ricky Ray will be slinging it far more than he hands it off. When Ray does call a running play, Lumsden's status and 6.3-yard career rushing average demands he get the most touches while McCarty will simply have to turn the dregs into yardage. His two-season average of 5.3-yards per carry suggests he is capable, and he will be catching swing passes, too, of course.
It is also true that offensive co-ordinator Rick Worman will be calling plays from the pages of a book that is no longer focused entirely on the short passing game. But suggesting the Eskimos are suddenly going to sprint totally away from their offensive bread and butter is ludicrous. The aerial assault has been their primary focus and remains their default position as long as Ray is pushing the buttons.
"I told the players this is the 2009 edition of the Eskimos, but whatever we do we're not inventing a new wheel here," said new head coach Richie Hall. "It's just a matter of putting our own twists or wrinkles in it."
Exactly. The Eskimos have been pass-first-and-listen-to-people-ask-questions-about-the-running-game -later kind of offence for the better part of this decade. In 2005 for instance, they ran the ball 288 times and threw it 718. Since 2000, they have averaged 624 pass attempts and 359 rushing plays per season. That's 34 pass attempts and 20 rushes per game.
That's how they like to do things in the Igloo.
It was almost 10 years ago that they last had a player run for more than 200 yards in a single game. That was Sean Millington in October of 1999. Their last 1,000-yard rusher was Troy Davis in 2006. Before him it was Mike Pringle in 2003 and '04.
Simply put, the offence always revolves around Ray. He is the Eskimos' MVP in almost any given season. He sets the tone, distributes the ball, decides the outcome more often than not. He will benefit from having Lumsden join the arsenal, certainly, but this is still Ray's team.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Yup. People can say whatever they want about the run, but, with Ricky Ray at quarterback, the Eskimos are still basically a passing football team.
Federer’s French Win Stirs Debate About Best Ever
09/06/2009 01:19
PARIS - With his first French Open title, Roger Federer strengthened the argument he's the best tennis player ever.
He completed a career Grand Slam, something only five other men have done. He won his 14th major title to equal the record held by Pete Sampras. He played in his 19th Grand Slam final to match Ivan Lendl's record.
The stylish Swiss caught a break in Paris and made the most of it, winning the title by beating the man who beat Federer's nemesis, Rafael Nadal. Federer swept surprise finalist Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 on Sunday.
"I don't know if we'll ever know who was the greatest of all time, but I'm definitely happy to be right up there," said the 27-year-old Federer, who plans to play into his 30s. "I think it should be judged at the very end, you know. How well did I do? Good? Great? Very good? Or medium? I don't know. It's for other people to decide."
On his fourth try in a French Open final, and first against someone other than Nadal, Federer came through. The list of Grand Slam champions who never won at Roland Garros includes Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker and Sampras.
"I'm obviously happy for Roger," Sampras told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where he lives. "Now that he has won in Paris, I think it just more solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game, in my opinion."
But is Federer - who acknowledged relief at avoiding Nadal in the final - even the best player of his generation?
More from Canadian Press.
French Open title in hand, Federer looks to Wimbeldon.
Nadal having knees checked, unsure of status for Wimbledon.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
There’s absolutely no question in my mind – Roger Federer is the best tennis player of all-time, bar none.
Maurice Lloyd Stresses Team Concept
09/06/2009 01:19
'I'm not the man on D,' says new linebacker
The Edmonton Eskimos spent lavishly to bring in one Maurice Lloyd to strengthen its defence.
It came at a hefty price, as sources say Lloyd attracted a $100,000 signing bonus to go with a $65,000 base on a one-year deal, plus an option.
But the five-foot-11, 235-pounder, who had 74 tackles and five sacks last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, insists the spotlight should not shine on him alone.
"I'm not the man on D," he said, trying to get that point across early as the Green and Gold checked in for Day 1 of main camp on Sunday. "I'm a man that is part of the defence. The defence, that as a whole, is going to try and get us the Grey Cup.
"I'm nothing special," insisted the 25-year-old linebacker, who brings a ferocious and quick style to Edmonton. "Yes, guys have been talking about the big hits from last year, but you're only as good as your last play. I can't rest on my laurels from last year or the year before. Yes, I feel I am a great player, but I have a lot of things I can improve on.
"Right now I want to make sure we get to the Grey Cup and we gel as a family and make things happen."
Lloyd will indeed play a big role in that scenario, if it happens. But so, too, will former Roughriders teammates Scott Gordon and Kitwana Jones, who joined Lloyd in the move west, following coach Richie Hall to the dark side, as it were.
Hall, the former Riders defensive co-ordinator, and general manager Danny Maciocia attracted Lloyd and Gordon -- a safety -- over in free agency. Jones, a rush end, came to Edmonton in a late trade for quarterback prospect Juan Joseph.
"I'm optimistic, very optimistic. I think Maciocia has done a good job getting a lot of the pieces of the puzzle," said Gordon, who will direct traffic in the secondary. "It's about putting it together in camp. I think from the athletes from last year, and the ones acquired, we should have a really strong season."
The addition of the trio should assist greatly in introducing Hall's new defence -- with various twists -- to the rest of the unit.
"Having Mo and Kitwana here, they're both incredible players," said Gordon, a veteran at 32. "Lots of energy and hustle and smart players, too. I think we can definitely contribute to the team and we are familiar to Richie's system, too. That's an advantage as well."
Lloyd may shun the spotlight, but there is little doubt he becomes an instant leader on what should be a much more aggressive defence.
"I'm going to be a leader, but at the same time, you're not going to come into someone else's home and think you're going to take over the show," said Lloyd.
"I'm going to lead when I have to lead and sit back when I have to sit back. I speak when I need to speak, but most of the time I lead by example. I've come here to show them how to get to the Grey Cup again and how to play hard defence. But for me to lead, I have to have someone to follow."
Gordon and Jones fit the bill, as well.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
The Esks should have a very different - swarming, attacking defence this season.
Today’s Court Proceedings Huge For NHL, Balsillie?
09/06/2009 01:18
Today's legal proceedings in the courtroom of Judge Redfield T. Baum have the potential to effectively end Jim Balsillie's chances of owning the Phoenix Coyotes on the spot. Or the judge might approve a sale of the team from Jerry Moyes to Balsillie, and as such set a legal precedent involving the sales and potential relocations of professional North American sports teams.
Or, there might be nothing in the way of a dramatic announcement if Baum chooses to rule later in the week, or perhaps at some other future date.
In recent days, the judge has been examining a number of documents from the NHL, Balsillie, Moyes, and the other major pro leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA). Baum is debating the legalities of Moyes being able to sell the Coyotes, who are operating under bankruptcy protection, to Balsillie for the $212.5 million that the co-CEO of Research in Motion has offered. As has been well documented, the Balsillie offer comes with the condition that he be allowed to move the franchise to Hamilton.
The critical question that Baum will address is whether the Coyotes are a portable asset and whether Moyes has the right to sell to Balsillie (knowing that he wants to relocate the team) and whether the court has the power or inclination to allow a bankruptcy court-ordered sale to supercede the rules and regulations of a professional sports league.
"It's going to be an interesting day, or perhaps week," said TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie. "Based on everything I have heard, it's clear that the bankruptcy court judge has the broad powers required to relocate the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton, but there is a real question as to whether he's prepared to use them in a precedent-setting case that could impact on the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball as well as the NHL."
Baum's primary mandate as a bankruptcy court judge is to protect the numerous creditors of the Coyotes. If he believes that Balsillie's offer represents the best opportunity for the creditors to recoup their investments, then he can rule in favour of the sale.
But NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has made court filings stating that there are four investor groups who have offered to purchase the team and keep them in Phoenix, including Toronto Argonauts owners Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon. It's Bettman's wish that the team remain in Arizona, and furthermore, that the NHL's rules governing ownership and the potential movement of a franchise take precedent over any court decisions.
"If the judge rules in favor of the NHL, I don't think there's any question the intervention of the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball will have been the turning point," said McKenzie. "If the judge rules in favor of the relocation, the question then becomes, can the NHL tie it up in legal proceedings by either getting a stay or filing an appeal that would prevent the Coyotes from actually going to Hamilton for next season? Either way, I would be surprised if the Coyotes are playing in Copps Coliseum in October. But anything, I suppose, is still possible."
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Remember what I said at the outset of this fiasco, folks – long and ugly, long and ugly.
Ripe Pick For Fruitful Career
09/06/2009 01:18
Peach makes transition from university to professional ranks
He's a headline writer's dream, for example: Peach becomes pick of crop; Nothing fuzzy about Peach; Team finds itself a real Peach.
But the one headline Greg Peach would really love to read is "Peachy keen; Eskimos recruit blossoms on defensive line."
The Eastern Washington University (EWU) defensive end, who stands in at six-foot-three and 255 pounds, wants desperately to make some news. Make the team, in fact, and he'll get his chance.
The baby-faced menace is quick off the edge and is just one of a talented group looking to make it on a vastly altered defensive line.
"Unfortunately, I've realized as the years go on, they keep looking younger," laughed Eskimos defensive co-ordinator and D-line coach Jim Daley. "He's one of those guys, he looks like a baby-faced assassin.
"He is a very athletic, physcial player. Has great pass-rush moves and plays with a full motor," Daley said of the 22-year-old Vancouver, Wash., native, who comes highly recommended by former Eskimo and Montreal Alouette Torey Hunter, now a defensive backs coach at EWU.
"He's a playmaker; he shows that through his athleticism and instincts," added Daley. "He's a smart man, physical man and he can be a very, very good CFL player."
Peach was a solid rush end at EWU, where he had 29 sacks the last two years, including 18 last season, and totalled 351/2 over his university career. Named the top defensive player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 2008, he also had 72 total tackles, 52 of which came behind the line of scrimmage (a sack or loss on a running back), which tells you he's quick.
There are, however, adjustments to make as he strictly played right end on the much narrower American field.
"On that field he only played that one side, where our players flip-flop, strong side and weak side," said Daley. "He has, like all the American guys, had to learn how to play the opposite side.
"Once he adjusts to those little things, he has the athletic ability and toughness to compete very well for a job on our team."
And that's all Peach as focused on since the day he was placed on the team's negotiation list in March. He then signed in May.
"I'm excited; I think the CFL is a good fit for me and I'm anxious to see what it's like or see what I can do," said Peach.
"I've watched film and it looks like a little more running, with the bigger field, which is fine with me. It's what I do," added the very likable, quiet young man.
"I heard him speak one word the other day and it was, 'Thank you,' " laughed Daley.
Officially, that's two, but you get the point. Peach looks mild-mannered, calm and very grounded -- at least before he hits the field. That may be because his parents, Jay and Anna-Lisa, are non-denominational missionaries in the Philippines and the apple -- or in this instance, Peach -- doesn't fall far from the tree.
"It's a little different in that they're not a few hours away, they're on a 20-hour flight away," said Peach. "But that's all right. They've come back to watch some of my home games (at EWU). They would come back for a couple of months, then head back."
But unlike dad, who travels the highlands in the Philippines assisting pastors, Peach believes football is his calling.
"Yes, I do. I have believed that for a long time," he said. "I started playing in the third grade and I've never stopped loving it."
He's now hoping his folks can travel another hour or two to watch him play in Edmonton.
"Sure, it's an unknown world for me and there is a chance I cannot make it, but I don't really think that way," Peach stressed.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I sure hope Peach lives up to his press clippings, ‘cuz the Esks really need a big ‘difference maker’ at rush end.
Judge Lifts Tiger Stadium’s Stay Of Execution
09/06/2009 01:18
DETROIT - Tiger Stadium's brief stay of execution ended Monday when a judge ruled that demolition of the historic ballpark could resume.
Wayne County Circuit Judge Prentis Edwards rejected a request by the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy to issue a preliminary injunction preventing further demolition of the stadium. He also lifted a temporary restraining order issued Friday afternoon that halted work begun just hours earlier.
Edwards agreed with lawyers for the city that the non-profit group likely can't raise the funds for a proposed US$33.4 million redevelopment project, noting there is little financing in hand after years of work.
"It appears here that the plaintiff has been given every opportunity to succeed with this project," Edwards said after about an hour of arguments, but the conservancy has "simply failed to come up with the requisite funding."
The prospects for success in the future, Edwards said, are "very, very dim."
Crews were expected to "immediately" resume tearing down what remains of Tiger Stadium said Waymon Guillebeaux, executive vice-president for project management and contract services at the Detroit Economic Growth Corp.
After the hearing, conservancy leaders appealed to Mayor Dave Bing to intervene to save the ballpark. But Bing said in a statement that while he remained "sensitive to the concerns of those who wish to preserve Tiger Stadium," he would "honour" the judge's decision.
Conservancy president Thomas Linn said the group would not appeal Edwards' decision.
Much of the ballpark, which opened in 1912 as Navin Field, was demolished last year after sitting vacant since the Detroit Tigers departed for Comerica Park in 1999. But a section extending from dugout to dugout was left standing while the conservancy sought to raise money to transform the stadium into a commercial building with a working ball field.
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Another iconic sports facility bites the dust.
Braidwood’s Absence Creates Sterling Opportunity
09/06/2009 01:18
Adam Braidwood's loss can instantly become Dee Sterling's gain and the Queen's University product knows it.
"That was real unfortunate for Adam. I'm not sure what the specifics are as far as Canadians on the field, but I'm sure it helps my situation a little bit," Sterling said of Braidwood's placement on the nine-game injured list that could effect import/non-import ratios.
"That doesn't mean I'm going to take it easy out here. I'm going to be pushing it no matter what."
The six-foot-three, 260-pound defensive lineman may get a greater look now that Braidwood's knee remains a shambles and keeps him out of the lineup.
"You know, we had plans for Adam, but we have to move on. It's a setback, but a setback that we can overcome," said Esks head coach Richie Hall. "One setback isn't going to keep us from moving forward. That's life."
And it should breathe life into a recruit like Sterling, who is 23.
"Very much so. Derrick's going to do a good job, that's one of the reasons why it was one of our priorities to go after him," said Hall. "He's going to make major contributions and he has the ability to play inside or outside, and with the loss of Adam we'll look at him primarily inside."
Sterling joined main camp after three days with the rookies. Now he's playing with the big boys.
"I'm getting used to the system and it's been fun," he said. "The obvious adjustment, I think, is the quickness. Guys get to the spot a little faster and you have to be more conscious about it and get it done."
ALL ABOUT ROGER
The updates can now stop.
His man Roger Federer is the French Open champion, and now quarterback recruit Lester Ricard doesn't have to rely on his updates from Roland Garros from Esks director of communications and marketing Dave Jamieson.
"I'm excited," said Ricard, of Federer's first-ever major win on the French clay.
"The last update picked up my day and turned my practice around," said an elated Ricard. "I've always loved tennis and I started following Roger when he started opening up the can on guys in '05, I think it was. He's the greatest of all time, one of the most dominating athletes, ever."
Federer claimed his record-tying 14th Grand Slam singles title. The Swiss star now turns his attention to a possible sixth Wimbledon title.
"Now (Rafael) Nadal's out of the house and he might miss Wimbledon. That's all I need, let's go for No. 6," Ricard shouted out loud of Federer's assault to come later this month at the All England Club.
THIS 'N' THAT
- Looking for offensive and defensive standouts on Day 1? Receiver Fred Stamps had a nice one-handed grab and was solid throughout, while DB Kelly Malveaux flew around all day, proving how valuable he should be.
- Several recruits remained out of the lineup, including receiver Eric Ware (leg) and DB E.J. Underwood. DB Emanuel White (ankle), joined the group, as did LB Jason Kosec (back) and WR Willie Thornton. A total of 76 players are in main camp.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
As I said a couple of days ago - with Braidwood’s injury, Dee Sterling’s stock just rose a whole bunch.
Vikings Give Favre A Deadline To Decide On Playing
09/06/2009 01:18
The Minnesota Vikings might be interested in future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, but he will need to make a quick decision on playing, reports ESPN.
According to the network, two sources said Vikings head coach Brad Childress has imposed a deadline and Favre must decide this week if he wants to play for Minnesota in 2009.
One source said Favre believes the Vikings could be a Super Bowl contender with him at quarterback, but is nervous about his shoulder after recently having arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon.
Last season Favre came out of a brief retirement and helped the New York Jets to a 9-7 record. He struggled during the late part of the season and retired again in February. He was later asked for and given his release from the Jets.
Favre retired for the first time following the 2007 season, but changed his mind a short time later. The three-time MVP was later traded to the New York Jets.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Please stop embarrassing yourself and stay retired, Brett.
About That Item You Published . . .
08/06/2009 04:56
That Moose - Pussycat Pic . . .
Loved today's pic of the pussycat and the moose getting acquainted!
BC
(In Calgary)
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That Satisfaction
Survey . . .I am wondering just how many people were surveyed?
If the numbers were comparable to the turnout at local election, the result could be very warped.
AG
St. Albert
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That Taxpayer’s Birthday Bash . . .
The only time 20 or so people equals public support is when Margaret Plain and Carol Watamaniuk are involved,
but don't quote me on this!
Anon Please
St. Albert
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Bits ‘N Pieces From Our Readers . . .
Today’s Lesson . . .
I found this page on "Good Ones from Mike."
Check it out here.
George Proulx
St. Albert
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Gazette's Civic
Matters BlogI dropped by to visit the Gazette's Civic Matters Blog today to see what kind of interaction it creates with their readers.
Seems the answer would be, "not much". Since May 7, there have been exactly two comments posted and one of them is by the blog author.
Just out of curiosity, how many people have written you since May 7?
JL
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
I hate it when you make me go back and count, but for the record, I have received 208 e-mails from readers since then.
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A Bit From A UK
Reader . . .The latest from the U.K. Health and Safety Brigade is that they are banning the long time practice of fruit farmers allowing customers to pick their own strawberries.
Apparently the farmers will have to make sure that the pathways between the rows are paved over and that customers cannot hurt themselves when leaning over to pick the fruit.
NH
(In the UK)
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SINC SAYS:
We love to hear from our readers. Got something on YOUR mind? Send it to: mybirdie@telus.net
COWS, GOLF AND A WIFE
08/06/2009 04:56
A man staggered into
a hospital with a concussion, multiple bruises,
two black eyes, and a five iron wrapped
tightly around his throat.
Naturally the doctor asked him, 'What happened to you?'
'Well, I was having a quiet round of golf with my wife, when at a difficult hole, we both sliced our balls into a cow pasture.' We went to look for them and while I was looking around I noticed one of the cows had something white at its rear end.'
'I walked over, lifted its tail, and sure enough, there was a golf ball with my wife's monogram on it - stuck right in the middle of the cow's butt.'
Still holding the cow's tail up, I yelled to my wife, 'Hey, this
looks like yours!'
'I don't remember much after that.'
SINC
SAYS:
Thanks and a tip of the hat to reader Jeff Young
for sending along this belly laugh.
Reported Flasher Spotted Four Times
08/06/2009 04:56
MANCHESTER, N.H. --
Manchester police are looking for a man who has
been flashing people throughout the
city.Police said over the past six months, four women have reported a naked man exposing himself in the city's south end.
The first was last November near Bodwell Road. The most recent was in the same neighborhood over the last month.
All of the incidents happened around midnight and the suspect descriptions are similar.
SINC SAYS:
Yep, all four women described the man as “short”.
Caes-hare-ian Section
08/06/2009 04:56
Animal lover cuts open body of dead hare to rescue
its unborn baby
A woman who found a pregnant hare lying dead in the road performed an emergency operation to deliver its baby.
Caring Leila Goss, 25, spotted the mother hare after it was killed by a car and immediately noticed its swollen stomach.
She picked up the animal, which was still warm, and rushed her home to perform a caesarean section to try to save its young.
A woman who found a pregnant hare lying dead in the road performed an emergency operation to deliver its baby.
Caring Leila Goss, 25, spotted the mother hare after it was killed by a car and immediately noticed its swollen stomach.
She picked up the animal, which was still warm, and rushed her home to perform a caesarean section to try to save its young.
Animal
lover: Leila Goss saved the life of the unborn baby
hare, called Ferret, by performing a caesarean
section on its dead mother
She cut open the hare and brought one of her
unconscious litter back to life - by draining fluid
from its lungs and blowing down its nose.
Leila, of Honiton, Devon, said the baby weighed just
4oz when it was born and it has never known the wild
so she has decided to keep it as a pet.
She said: ‘We were coming home and there was a car
which had stopped in the road which had its warning
lights on.
‘The car must have seen our lights and drove off. We
thought they must have hit something, so we stopped
and there was a big hare lying in the road.
‘She was still warm, so obviously they had just hit
her. When we got her home, I cut her open and there
were two babies inside. One was quite floppy.
‘The second one looked a bit better so I swung him
around gently to get the fluid out of his lungs, then
I gently blew down his nose and it started gasping
for air.
‘I dried the baby off a bit more and wrapped it up in
a towel and put it on a hot water bottle.
‘Its breathing became steadier and the legs started
to move around and within an hour it was sitting
upright, looking like a little hare should do.’
She said: ‘I'm going to call it Verity if it's a girl
and Kenny if it's a boy. At the moment I'm calling
him 'Ferret' because I just couldn't get my head
round having a little hare in the house.
‘It's in my bedroom during the day, living in a big
box and gets fed in the living room. It's really
sweet when it follows me down to the living room when
it is time for a feed.
SINC
SAYS:
That’s a hare raising story if I ever herd one.
Cinema Ordered To Pay Damages For Search
08/06/2009 04:55
A Quebec court has
ordered a cinema to pay $10,000 in damages
after staff searched patrons' bags and turned
up smuggled snacks and birth control pills --
and in the process violated their privacy
rights.The incident happened in 2007 when a woman took her two daughters to Cinemas Guzzo in Montreal to watch the film "Shrek the Third," said CTV Montreal's Rob Lurie.
Staff at the theatre were searching customers' bags for video equipment that could be used for movie piracy.
Security guards didn't find any video equipment in the family's bags, but did turn up a large selection of snack food, which they asked the family to take back to their vehicle, Lurie said.
"They did so willingly. But they continued the search of the bags and while searching they also uncovered some birth control pills belonging to the older daughter," Lurie said.
"Needless to say the mother was not pleased to find out in this manner that her daughter had those pills in her possession."
The woman then filed a lawsuit over the alleged privacy violation, seeking $60,000 in damages.
The judge ruled Monday that the cinema must pay $10,000 in compensation to the family over the incident.
Vince Guzzo, vice-president of Cinemas Guzzo, told CTV Montreal that the judge ruled cinema staff can still search bags, but must follow stricter rules when doing so.
"What the judge is saying is we could search bags, the problem is we have to tell people at the moment of purchasing the ticket with a sign at the ticket booth," Guzzo said.
"And we're not allowed to put our hands in your bag, which is totally understandable. I don't want to put my hands in your bag. In fact, leave the bags in the car."
SINC SAYS:
Any movie theatre who wanted to search me before entering would not get my business. The movie industry has taken this way too far and treats customers like criminals. Enough already.
Tiger Overcomes Four-Shot Deficit To Win Memorial
08/06/2009 04:55
DUBLIN, Ohio -- No need to worry about Tiger Woods heading into the U.S. Open.
Woods broke away from a four-way tie for the lead Sunday at the Memorial with birdies on his final two holes, the last one a 7-iron that stopped a foot away from the cup for a 7-under 65 and a one-shot victory over Jim Furyk.
With a high-charged rally from a four-shot deficit, Woods revved up the crowd and silenced those who questioned his game heading into his title defence at Bethpage Black in two weeks.
He didn't miss a fairway in the final round, the first time he has done that in more than five years. He missed only five fairways all week, his most accurate tournament off the tee since the 1998 Masters.
Woods won the Memorial for a record fourth time, and tournament host Jack Nicklaus was there to greet him behind the 18th green. It was his second victory this year after missing eight months from knee surgery, and Woods figured he will only get better.
"I knew it was coming around," Woods said. "I just wasn't as consistent as I needed to be."
More from Canadian Press.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What more can I add? Woods is simply the best – better than all the rest.
Esks’ New Coach Has Ability To Build ‘Strong Bonds’
08/06/2009 04:55
Richie Hall has 30-year friendships and a close family in his corner
The Creepers will convene next January, as they have since 2001, on the Martin Luther King holiday weekend to swap updates and reminiscences, soak up sun and suds and reapply the glue that has bonded them for 30 years.
Life's centrifugal forces have flung them far and wide from their Colorado State University centre and they will travel to Florida or perhaps Mexico from homes in Dallas, Denver, Columbus and Edmonton. Club members include a school teacher, police officer, insurance executive, school librarian and counsellor for sex offenders.
Among them is the 18th head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos.
"We might not talk but once or twice during the year, but when we get together it's like we're back in school," said Richie Hall, who was hired away from the Roughriders in December and opens his first Eskimo training camp today.
"They're special to me. We go through life, we have a lot of people who call us friends, but we have very few people we call friends. When I talk about friends, it's this group of people who are close to me." Hall tends to his friendships the way he does his demanding job, with a healthy work ethic and meticulous attention to detail; with patience, consistency and good humor.
Hall allowed more opponents into Canadian Football League end zones than he did friends into his inner circle -- and remember, he was a four-time, all-star defensive back with Calgary and Saskatchewan from 1983 to 1991. Though the 48-year-old has spent more than half his life in Canada and in the public eye, fans hardly know him beyond his on-field exploits, easygoing demeanor and a megawatt smile inherited from his mother Jean.
"I think I'm a passive aggressive person but I'm a public, private person," he said. "Generally speaking, I think people get a misconception of me. I think I'm a nice guy. I like smiles. I'm very easygoing. I'm also very stubborn. People might not think I'm stubborn because I love smiles. It takes a lot for me to raise my voice. It takes a lot for me to get pissed off. But I'm very stubborn, I'm very stern. Not a lot of things upset me. But I am very competitive and I am very emotional. I try to be even keel, but I am very emotional." A glimpse into Hall's private life isn't shocking, but instructive. He was married for five years to an Edmonton woman he still calls a friend 17 years after the marriage ended. He's in another relationship now, but lives alone. He's a reader, listens to music and doesn't watch much TV, but it's on all the time in his place as background noise. And he loves the game of pool, which he first played as a kid at an uncle's house in Georgia.
"I never hung out at a pool hall, but I am fascinated by the game. Things fascinate me. I'm an observer. I love sitting back. If we had a group of people in here you would never know that I was even in here. I don't like talking, even though I do talk. I could watch someone play pool for five hours without even going up there and picking up a stick. Just trying to learn the game." A quarter-century removed from CSU, he is still the student, even while employed as a teacher of football. The Eskimos are his team now, but the Creepers have been his team since the first semester, when the club's core group including Hall partied too hard at The Library bar, flunked out and had to claw their way back onto the right path.
That they all graduated, Hall with a major in social work, speaks to the determination we still see from a five-foot-six dynamo who excelled in a big man's game. That they are still close is a credit to his abilities as a coach.
"Richie kept us all together. He started the trips," said Sheila Pomeranz, the only female Creeper. "He called everybody and said 'let's do this.' He's better than any of us about keeping in touch on a regular basis." "You can't have friends if you aren't a friend and that says a lot about him," said his sister Janice Watley. "There are very few people who get to have the board of directors that we all need within our lives in order to maintain balance and a sense of self and purpose. They are there for him that way because he stands up for his relationships." The Creepers began as roommates, friends and football teammates living in the Ingersoll Hall dormitory at CSU in Fort Collins, Colorado in the late 1970s and early '80s. Hall was a typical freshman.
"He was interested in the things you're interested in at college: drinking," chuckled Pomeranz. "Ladies' night and free beer. But I don't know if you want to put that in your article." Heck, yeah.
More from the Edmonton Journal.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Never mind about building ‘strong bonds,’ I’m counting on Richie Hall to build a strong football team with the Esks this year.
Adam Braidwood’s Knee Hardly Healthy
08/06/2009 04:55
Recent acquisition Malbrough doesn't report
The announcement came quicker than an overhand right and delivered about the same effect.
The Edmonton Eskimos have placed Adam Braidwood on the nine-game injured list due to his left knee, which is still not 100 per cent.
Then came the left cross: defensive back Anthony Malbrough, whom the Esks obtained from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in April for future considerations, has decided not to report.
"We're going to explore all options with Adam as far as the medical side is concerned," said Eskimos general manager Danny Maciocia.
"We've had some discussions with our medical people and we're going to see what we can do to get him up to speed, to where he was prior to him sustaining that injury in 2007." The news is a tough blow considering Braidwood, 25, missed the entire 2008 CFL season, but appeared on not one, but two, boxing cards during the off-season. He told The Journal back in April that he had medical clearance from his doctors to box.
"That's probably what he