Here's my top 10 "Good and Bad" list for the 2009 Toronto Blue Jays season:
Good NFL jerseys
10. Carlson vs. Posada/Halladay vs. Ortiz:,/I> Jesse Carlson finally grew tired of seeing his teammates checking bruises in the mirror and, unprompted, threw at Jorge Posada. This decision drew massive praise inside the clubhouse. Intentional or not, Jonathan Papelbon smoked Adam Lind after the latter had hit three home runs. Halladay answered the next night, hitting the well-protected David Ortiz, and followed with a precious explanation: "The pitch just got away from me."
9. Marc Rzepczyski: In a season marked by opportunity, he seized one. Called up in July when Scott Richmond came down with an injury, Rzepczyski turned heads with an unwavering poise, solid command, and an excellent strike-outs-to-walks-ratio. The Jays seem to have something here.
8. Jason Frasor: The bullpen's forgotten man in 2008 was the best reliever of 2009. On his own dime, he traveled to Tennessee to develop a change-up for the coming year. That third pitch served him well in assuming the closer's mantel.
7. Marco Scutaro: The career utility-man had a career year, one that will allow him to cash in as a free agent. An excellent two-strike hitter, Scutaro drew his share of walks as the Jays' lead-off man. Defensively, he was as good as any shortstop. Too bad we may have seen the last of him.
6. May 18: Personal achievements are fun, but winning fills the seats. On this date, the Blue Jays were the best team in the American League, and led the East by three-and-a-half games. It was the season's apex.
5. September: The Jays blasted their way through September, hitting 46 home runs and winning more games than any other month. Most were meaningless games, but the sweep in Boston prevented the Red Sox from celebrating a playoff berth on the field.
4. Adam Lind: Lind is not a one-year wonder. He's a pure hitter - a student of the craft - with power to all fields. He's in the four-hole on this list because that's where he'll be hitting next year.
3. Aaron Hill: Last summer, he wasn't sure he'd ever play baseball again. This summer, he became a first-time father, a first-time All-Star and the League's best second baseman. This team has lacked a true clubhouse leader in recent years. Hill is hereby nominated for next season.
2. Roy Halladay: It wasn't his best year, but he sucked up the swirling trade talk and kept on winning, finishing the year with 17 victories and one of the finest single-game performances in team history (September 4th against New York). His departure, which appears imminent, will be considered a dark day in Blue Jays' history.
1. Ricky Romero: Honestly, did you see this coming? Sometimes dominant, sometimes not, his numbers are comparable to those of A.J. Burnett. His salary is not.
Bad
10. Attendance: This could have fit in either category. It's "Bad" because the Jays drew 1,876,129 - their lowest figure since 2003 - and "Good" because the team has done away with counting hand-outs and complimentary seats.
9. The Draft: Canada's only remaining Major League team has long been criticized for not developing a native star. That's why many were left scratching their heads when the Jays drafted a pair of Canadians - James Paxton (37th overall) and Jake Eliopoulos (68th overall) - and weren't able to find the extra dollars to get them signed.
8. B.J. Ryan and Alex Rios: Questions arose when Ryan dropped out of the World Baseball Classic in March after an alarming decline in velocity. His tumble was swift and expensive: the Blue Jays are paying Ryan $15 million to not play baseball. As for Rios, his scenario could be filed in the "Good" column. The Blue Jays saved millions by losing him to Chicago, and his passionless play continued with the White Sox. Due to great potential stalled, the Jays weren't even able to wrestle a low-level prospect.
7. The Halladay mess: Halladay was unwillingly thrown in to the cauldron of speculation for over almost two months. The man who dislikes media attention got plenty of it around the All-Star break. He says his performance was unaffected, but in a seven-week span he suffered a minor injury and won only once.
6. Ramiro Pena: He was a last-minute replacement for Derek Jeter on September 4th at the Rogers Centre. Who'd have thought his 6th-inning double would be the only hit surrendered by Roy Halladay? Thanks to the light-hitting back-up, Dave Stieb remains the only Blue Jay to ever throw a no-hitter.
5. Tampa Bay Rays: Boston and New York may be playoff bound, but the Rays were the ones who really put the "Blue" in Jays. In 18 meetings, our fearless birds won only four. Along the way, they beat Halladay four times too.
4. Bad Times in Baltimore: This is where the season ended, and it wasn't a memorable trip, to be sure. First, reports allege that the clubhouse is divided, with players on one side and manager Cito Gaston on the other. A day later, J.P. Ricciardi is dismissed. As the season ends, the direction of the team takes a sudden turn. Let's hope it's a positive one.
3. Vernon Wells: Be careful what you wish for. Two years ago, the phone-in crowd pleaded for the Jays to get him signed long-term. Now, those same people lament an unmovable contract. The burden of making that much money
2.Jesse Litsch: No Shaun Marcum. No Dustin McGowan. And by the middle of the first month, there'd be no Jesse Litsch too. The likeable right-hander broke camp as the rotation's second starter. His season-ending injury had a ripple affect, forcing the Jays to bring up pitchers like Brad Mills, Bobby Ray and Brett Cecil long before they were due.
1. May 19: This is the point of decline. The Jays had just swept a four-game series with the White Sox, and had a bounce in their step as they went to Boston. That night, Tim Wakefield made a mess of the bats, and a string of nine straight losses followed. When they woke up that day, the Blue Jays led the American League East by three-and-a-half games.
2010年5月15日星期六
2010年5月14日星期五
The cold hard facts
At first glance, they trailed, rallied, and then the NBA Jerseys bullpen spit the bit, leading to the first of many losses that Jays fans will have to endure in Cito Gaston's final year in charge.
So what can we take from the first setback?
Well, Ricky Romero put in two innings of work, throwing 29 pitches, one less than the 15 per inning that I like to see, surrendering a single run on a solo home run. After the sophomore left-hander stepped, they ran out five relievers, with only Josh Roenicke being on the radar for an Opening Day. Nothing to wring your hands about there.
Offensively, some good: Aaron Hill stole a pair of bases, while new catcher John Buck drove in their first run of the spring. As we witnessed after his arrival last season, Randy Ruiz did what he does best with a two hits in three at-bats. And now the bad: Travis Snider struck out twice in two at-bats, leaving three runners on base.
My second-favourite day of the year came and went on Wednesday. The Blue Jays opened their 2010 Grapefruit League season with a 7-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers in a game played in temperatures more akin to October in Minneapolis, which is exactly where they'll close out the 2010 regular season. So, at least they got to work on bundling up for warmth.
With not much expected of the 34th edition of the Blue Jays, picked by many to finish in the basement of the ultra-competitive A.L. East, this spring will used to take long looks at a variety of pitchers and hitters. At present, the Jays have 37 pitchers in camp to go with 29 position players. It seems that Cito's greatest challenge will be to get everybody into games to properly evaluate just what they all can do.
Surprisingly, for a team that not a lot is expected of, there really are very few jobs up for grabs this spring. The makeup of the rotation is one area in flux because, as usual, the health of their starters is being monitored on a daily basis. Brett Cecil, a strong candidate for the fourth or fifth spot, had to miss his first Grapefruit League appearance with a cut on his pitching hand. Scott Richmond, who made 24 starts in 2009, is in limbo after he came down with a sore shoulder at the beginning of camp.
One spring game down with 28 more to go before the regular season starts in a month in Arlington, Texas. At least the weather will be a little warmer... fingers crossed.
A trio of other starters - Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litsch - are all coming off serious surgeries to their pitching arms and are at different levels on their roads to recovery. Marcum, by all indications, should be good to go to start the regular season, but nothing can be confirmed until he faces some Major League-calibre hitting.
At the plate, it appears that John Buck (C), Lyle Overbay (1B), Aaron Hill (2B), Alex Gonzalez (SS), Edwin Encarnacion (3B), Adam Lind (LF/DH), Vernon Wells (CF), and Jose Bautista (RF/3B) all have guaranteed jobs. OF Travis Snider, as we've heard Alex Anthopoulos and Gaston say, will have to play his way onto the roster to be an everyday player, or he'll play in AAA. That leaves only four spots available, although magic glove man John McDonald will be the utility infielder and free-agent catcher Jose Molina has the inside track on the backup catcher job. Joey Gathright will get a long look as a bench player on a team that lacks speed.
I'm hoping that 1B/DH Randy Ruiz doesn't get squeezed out by the numbers because, quite frankly, this cat can rake. Let's not forget that between Las Vegas and Toronto last season, Ruiz had 35 home runs to go with 123 RBI. And despite limited action in the majors, his pro-rated numbers over a 162-game schedule come out to 32 HR and a .299 average. On a team that was offensively challenged a year ago, those numbers can't be ignored. And on a team that is also financially challenged, his minimum salary should also not be overlooked. Perhaps, if Overbay's offensive numbers continue to nose-dive, the Jays should consider a straight platoon at first base involving Ruiz.
As for the bullpen, one of the few positives last season, it's basically status quo with the only new face being Kevin Gregg. The former Cubs closer will compete with Jason Frasor and Scott Downs to be the main man in the ninth inning. The one thing that having all these arms in camp means is that they will definitely have depth should injuries come into the equation. The Jays have already had one arm go on the 60-day DL as Scott Richmond was placed on the 60-day DL on Thuersday.
So what can we take from the first setback?
Well, Ricky Romero put in two innings of work, throwing 29 pitches, one less than the 15 per inning that I like to see, surrendering a single run on a solo home run. After the sophomore left-hander stepped, they ran out five relievers, with only Josh Roenicke being on the radar for an Opening Day. Nothing to wring your hands about there.
Offensively, some good: Aaron Hill stole a pair of bases, while new catcher John Buck drove in their first run of the spring. As we witnessed after his arrival last season, Randy Ruiz did what he does best with a two hits in three at-bats. And now the bad: Travis Snider struck out twice in two at-bats, leaving three runners on base.
My second-favourite day of the year came and went on Wednesday. The Blue Jays opened their 2010 Grapefruit League season with a 7-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers in a game played in temperatures more akin to October in Minneapolis, which is exactly where they'll close out the 2010 regular season. So, at least they got to work on bundling up for warmth.
With not much expected of the 34th edition of the Blue Jays, picked by many to finish in the basement of the ultra-competitive A.L. East, this spring will used to take long looks at a variety of pitchers and hitters. At present, the Jays have 37 pitchers in camp to go with 29 position players. It seems that Cito's greatest challenge will be to get everybody into games to properly evaluate just what they all can do.
Surprisingly, for a team that not a lot is expected of, there really are very few jobs up for grabs this spring. The makeup of the rotation is one area in flux because, as usual, the health of their starters is being monitored on a daily basis. Brett Cecil, a strong candidate for the fourth or fifth spot, had to miss his first Grapefruit League appearance with a cut on his pitching hand. Scott Richmond, who made 24 starts in 2009, is in limbo after he came down with a sore shoulder at the beginning of camp.
One spring game down with 28 more to go before the regular season starts in a month in Arlington, Texas. At least the weather will be a little warmer... fingers crossed.
A trio of other starters - Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litsch - are all coming off serious surgeries to their pitching arms and are at different levels on their roads to recovery. Marcum, by all indications, should be good to go to start the regular season, but nothing can be confirmed until he faces some Major League-calibre hitting.
At the plate, it appears that John Buck (C), Lyle Overbay (1B), Aaron Hill (2B), Alex Gonzalez (SS), Edwin Encarnacion (3B), Adam Lind (LF/DH), Vernon Wells (CF), and Jose Bautista (RF/3B) all have guaranteed jobs. OF Travis Snider, as we've heard Alex Anthopoulos and Gaston say, will have to play his way onto the roster to be an everyday player, or he'll play in AAA. That leaves only four spots available, although magic glove man John McDonald will be the utility infielder and free-agent catcher Jose Molina has the inside track on the backup catcher job. Joey Gathright will get a long look as a bench player on a team that lacks speed.
I'm hoping that 1B/DH Randy Ruiz doesn't get squeezed out by the numbers because, quite frankly, this cat can rake. Let's not forget that between Las Vegas and Toronto last season, Ruiz had 35 home runs to go with 123 RBI. And despite limited action in the majors, his pro-rated numbers over a 162-game schedule come out to 32 HR and a .299 average. On a team that was offensively challenged a year ago, those numbers can't be ignored. And on a team that is also financially challenged, his minimum salary should also not be overlooked. Perhaps, if Overbay's offensive numbers continue to nose-dive, the Jays should consider a straight platoon at first base involving Ruiz.
As for the bullpen, one of the few positives last season, it's basically status quo with the only new face being Kevin Gregg. The former Cubs closer will compete with Jason Frasor and Scott Downs to be the main man in the ninth inning. The one thing that having all these arms in camp means is that they will definitely have depth should injuries come into the equation. The Jays have already had one arm go on the 60-day DL as Scott Richmond was placed on the 60-day DL on Thuersday.
2010年5月11日星期二
Imagine that
On Saturday night, I had the NBA jerseys pleasure of covering Patrick Roy's jersey retirement at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Growing up as a die-hard Habs fan, Roy was the idol who gave my team two Stanley Cups.
I thought it was somewhat ironic that the Leafs decided to honour Wendel Clark on the same night as Roy. For years, a great debate has raged: Would Wendel Clark's Maple Leafs have beaten Patrick Roy's Canadiens if they met in the 1993 Stanley Cup final?
I feel like this is an appropriate time to answer that question, given the events of this past weekend. I thought about recreating the two teams and simulating this series on Xbox. However, I don't think I could find a setting on NHL 2K9 that allows me to create bald players (ie. Brian Bellows), players with mustaches (ie. Jamie Macoun) or players with neck braces (ie. John Cullen).
Game 1 - The Montreal Forum has a hostile welcome for Pat Burns, who left the Habs as head coach one year earlier. Burns, however, misinterprets the fans anger and thinks he is being applauded by the Montreal faithful. ("I thought they were saying "Boo-urns," he would say in his post-game press conference.) Despite the distraction, the Leafs use a pair of third-period goals from Dave Andreychuk to secure a 4-1 victory in Game 1.
Game 2 - Gilbert Dionne causes a mild controversy by pointing to himself and claiming he scored the game-winning goal midway through the second period. Only one problem: Dionne wasn't actually on the ice. Roy makes 17 saves in the third period as the Habs even the series with a 2-1 win.
Game 3 - The first Stanley Cup final game at Maple Leaf Gardens in 26 years starts with a bizarre twist. Habs forwards Gary Leeman and Vincent Damphousse are given plaques to commemorate their great season with the Leafs back in 1989-90. Nobody seems to know how to react to this pre-game presentation. Questions arise like, "Why are the Leafs honouring two guys that never scored 100 points and got knocked out in the first round?" and "Why wasn't Daniel Marois invited to participate?" The Leafs never seem to recover from the pre-game blunder and lose 4-1.
Game 4 - Felix Potvin outduels Patrick Roy, making 47 saves in a 3-2 Leafs victory to even the series at two games apiece. After the game, Cliff Fletcher announces he has signed Potvin to a record 15-year contract. "This will be the wave of the future," Fletcher says. "I defy anyone to tell me that Potvin won't be a great goaltender in the NHL in the year 2008."
I also thought about dusting off my old Sega Genesis system and playing the original NHL '93. But every game would have ended 15-14 since I know all the ways to cheat and score in that game. How many wrap-around goals with Nik Borschevsky can you score before everything gets boring?
So I decided to create the 1993 Stanley Cup final between Montreal and Toronto in the only place that I could: My mind.
Game 5 - With the game tied 3-3 late in the third period, Todd Gill coughs up the puck at his own blue line allowing Kirk Muller to score the go-ahead goal. But just seconds later, Patrice Brisebois gives the puck up at his own blue line, which gives Glenn Anderson the chance to tie up the game. Fights break out in the stands as Leafs and Habs fans argue over which defenseman creates more turnovers: Gill or Brisebois. The game goes into extra time and the Canadiens win their eighth consecutive OT game on a goal by Stephane Lebeau.
Game 6 - Trailing 2-1 with just under a minute left in the game, Pat Burns decides to call for a stick measurement on Canadiens defenseman Lyle Odelin. Turns out Odelin was using an illegal stick and for the first time in recorded history, Kerry Fraser gives the Leafs a break. Dave Ellett ties the game with just over 30 seconds left -- and then scores the winner early in OT. "Would we have called that? No," Canadiens coach Jacques Demers said after the game. "I don't believe in winning like that. Nothing disparaging against Pat Burns, but Jacques Demers would not make that call."
Game 7 - The Leafs are hesitant to take the ice at the Forum as they learned Fraser will be the referee for Game 7 as well. But Toronto hangs tough and gets a pair of goals from Wendel Clark to force overtime. And four minutes into the extra period, Nikolai Borschevsky tips home the Stanley Cup winner past a stunned Patrick Roy. The CBC, hesitant to air another unwatchable interview with Borschevsky after he scores a Game 7 OT winner, cuts directly to an episode of Road To Avonlea.
I thought it was somewhat ironic that the Leafs decided to honour Wendel Clark on the same night as Roy. For years, a great debate has raged: Would Wendel Clark's Maple Leafs have beaten Patrick Roy's Canadiens if they met in the 1993 Stanley Cup final?
I feel like this is an appropriate time to answer that question, given the events of this past weekend. I thought about recreating the two teams and simulating this series on Xbox. However, I don't think I could find a setting on NHL 2K9 that allows me to create bald players (ie. Brian Bellows), players with mustaches (ie. Jamie Macoun) or players with neck braces (ie. John Cullen).
Game 1 - The Montreal Forum has a hostile welcome for Pat Burns, who left the Habs as head coach one year earlier. Burns, however, misinterprets the fans anger and thinks he is being applauded by the Montreal faithful. ("I thought they were saying "Boo-urns," he would say in his post-game press conference.) Despite the distraction, the Leafs use a pair of third-period goals from Dave Andreychuk to secure a 4-1 victory in Game 1.
Game 2 - Gilbert Dionne causes a mild controversy by pointing to himself and claiming he scored the game-winning goal midway through the second period. Only one problem: Dionne wasn't actually on the ice. Roy makes 17 saves in the third period as the Habs even the series with a 2-1 win.
Game 3 - The first Stanley Cup final game at Maple Leaf Gardens in 26 years starts with a bizarre twist. Habs forwards Gary Leeman and Vincent Damphousse are given plaques to commemorate their great season with the Leafs back in 1989-90. Nobody seems to know how to react to this pre-game presentation. Questions arise like, "Why are the Leafs honouring two guys that never scored 100 points and got knocked out in the first round?" and "Why wasn't Daniel Marois invited to participate?" The Leafs never seem to recover from the pre-game blunder and lose 4-1.
Game 4 - Felix Potvin outduels Patrick Roy, making 47 saves in a 3-2 Leafs victory to even the series at two games apiece. After the game, Cliff Fletcher announces he has signed Potvin to a record 15-year contract. "This will be the wave of the future," Fletcher says. "I defy anyone to tell me that Potvin won't be a great goaltender in the NHL in the year 2008."
I also thought about dusting off my old Sega Genesis system and playing the original NHL '93. But every game would have ended 15-14 since I know all the ways to cheat and score in that game. How many wrap-around goals with Nik Borschevsky can you score before everything gets boring?
So I decided to create the 1993 Stanley Cup final between Montreal and Toronto in the only place that I could: My mind.
Game 5 - With the game tied 3-3 late in the third period, Todd Gill coughs up the puck at his own blue line allowing Kirk Muller to score the go-ahead goal. But just seconds later, Patrice Brisebois gives the puck up at his own blue line, which gives Glenn Anderson the chance to tie up the game. Fights break out in the stands as Leafs and Habs fans argue over which defenseman creates more turnovers: Gill or Brisebois. The game goes into extra time and the Canadiens win their eighth consecutive OT game on a goal by Stephane Lebeau.
Game 6 - Trailing 2-1 with just under a minute left in the game, Pat Burns decides to call for a stick measurement on Canadiens defenseman Lyle Odelin. Turns out Odelin was using an illegal stick and for the first time in recorded history, Kerry Fraser gives the Leafs a break. Dave Ellett ties the game with just over 30 seconds left -- and then scores the winner early in OT. "Would we have called that? No," Canadiens coach Jacques Demers said after the game. "I don't believe in winning like that. Nothing disparaging against Pat Burns, but Jacques Demers would not make that call."
Game 7 - The Leafs are hesitant to take the ice at the Forum as they learned Fraser will be the referee for Game 7 as well. But Toronto hangs tough and gets a pair of goals from Wendel Clark to force overtime. And four minutes into the extra period, Nikolai Borschevsky tips home the Stanley Cup winner past a stunned Patrick Roy. The CBC, hesitant to air another unwatchable interview with Borschevsky after he scores a Game 7 OT winner, cuts directly to an episode of Road To Avonlea.
2010年5月10日星期一
Picking the Pens
That may very well happen, but I am taking a totally objective look at NHL Jerseys this series. I'm not going to have my judgment clouded by the fact that I sometimes sleep in Spartacat pajamas.
And here's what I think: Pittsburgh will win this series in six games.
Instead of giving you the usual boring stuff about how Crosby and Malkin are world-class players, I'm going to highlight some other reasons why I think the Penguins not only win this series -- but they win the Stanley Cup again.
Role Players - Here's what I really like about the Penguins: They have three players on their roster that have scored the winning goal in Game 7 of a Stanley Cup final. Not one. Not two. But three freaking players. Mike Rupp (2003), Ruslan Fedetenko (2004) and Max Talbot (2009) have all scored the winning goal on hockey's biggest stage. Those types of intangibles are invaluable at this time of year.
In this space, I have often been referred to as Ian Sen-des.
The clever wit who came up with that was probably fed up with my perceived bias towards the Ottawa Senators.
So with the playoffs upon us, everyone is waiting for my annual "Go Sens Go" prediction. The one where I predict that Crosby will be neutralized by Philchenkov and Sutton will obliterate Malkin with one hit.
Great Teams Can Flip A Switch - I understand the argument that the Penguins have played too many playoff games over the last two years. Some people believe it will catch up to them and fatigue will be a factor. But it's my belief that the Penguins understand what it takes to win in the playoffs, which is why you didn't see them go crazy trying to win the division down the stretch. The great teams know when and how to turn it on and off.
The Penguins have won 30 playoff games over the last two years. They know how to get it done. And look at some of the great teams in recent history, like the Islanders, Oilers and Penguins. When winning their last Cup, they treated the regular season as the warm-up act. Gretzky's last Cup in Edmonton came with his team finishing in second place. The Islanders last Cup in their dynasty run also came with a second-place regular season finish. And the last time the Penguins won back-to-back Cups, the second one came when they didn't win the Patrick Division. People tell you that there is no magical switch to flip once the playoffs start and that you had better be playing good hockey going into the post-season. But the great teams know how to flip that switch and I believe Pittsburgh has arrived at that point.
them to win. And I just don't see anyone in the East -- Washington included -- that is going to beat Pittsburgh. It's just the Sens’ poor luck that they drew the best team in the first round.
And I won't take any offence if people start calling me "Ian Pen-des."
Fleury Has Arrived - Is there a better money goalie in the Eastern Conference right now? Some people might argue in favour of Ryan Miller, but I'd have no issue hitching my wagon to the guy that has back-stopped his team to two straight Cup finals. And Fleury's last post-season save was arguably the most clutch save in playoff history, robbing Nicklas Lidstrom from point-blank range to preserve a Game 7 win in the dying seconds. When you have that memory fresh in your mind, you probably feel like you can do anything.
The Senators know they are underdogs in this series. They don't expect anyone to pick
And here's what I think: Pittsburgh will win this series in six games.
Instead of giving you the usual boring stuff about how Crosby and Malkin are world-class players, I'm going to highlight some other reasons why I think the Penguins not only win this series -- but they win the Stanley Cup again.
Role Players - Here's what I really like about the Penguins: They have three players on their roster that have scored the winning goal in Game 7 of a Stanley Cup final. Not one. Not two. But three freaking players. Mike Rupp (2003), Ruslan Fedetenko (2004) and Max Talbot (2009) have all scored the winning goal on hockey's biggest stage. Those types of intangibles are invaluable at this time of year.
In this space, I have often been referred to as Ian Sen-des.
The clever wit who came up with that was probably fed up with my perceived bias towards the Ottawa Senators.
So with the playoffs upon us, everyone is waiting for my annual "Go Sens Go" prediction. The one where I predict that Crosby will be neutralized by Philchenkov and Sutton will obliterate Malkin with one hit.
Great Teams Can Flip A Switch - I understand the argument that the Penguins have played too many playoff games over the last two years. Some people believe it will catch up to them and fatigue will be a factor. But it's my belief that the Penguins understand what it takes to win in the playoffs, which is why you didn't see them go crazy trying to win the division down the stretch. The great teams know when and how to turn it on and off.
The Penguins have won 30 playoff games over the last two years. They know how to get it done. And look at some of the great teams in recent history, like the Islanders, Oilers and Penguins. When winning their last Cup, they treated the regular season as the warm-up act. Gretzky's last Cup in Edmonton came with his team finishing in second place. The Islanders last Cup in their dynasty run also came with a second-place regular season finish. And the last time the Penguins won back-to-back Cups, the second one came when they didn't win the Patrick Division. People tell you that there is no magical switch to flip once the playoffs start and that you had better be playing good hockey going into the post-season. But the great teams know how to flip that switch and I believe Pittsburgh has arrived at that point.
them to win. And I just don't see anyone in the East -- Washington included -- that is going to beat Pittsburgh. It's just the Sens’ poor luck that they drew the best team in the first round.
And I won't take any offence if people start calling me "Ian Pen-des."
Fleury Has Arrived - Is there a better money goalie in the Eastern Conference right now? Some people might argue in favour of Ryan Miller, but I'd have no issue hitching my wagon to the guy that has back-stopped his team to two straight Cup finals. And Fleury's last post-season save was arguably the most clutch save in playoff history, robbing Nicklas Lidstrom from point-blank range to preserve a Game 7 win in the dying seconds. When you have that memory fresh in your mind, you probably feel like you can do anything.
The Senators know they are underdogs in this series. They don't expect anyone to pick
2010年5月9日星期日
Bertuzzi lifts Red Wings past Blue Jackets in SO
Howard, a top Calder Trophy candidate as the MLB jerseys NHL rookie of the year, had 22 saves. Mason, last year's Calder winner, had a season-high 45 saves in the Blue Jackets' final game of the season.
Detroit, 12-1-2 in its last 15 games, outshot the Blue Jackets 34-15 in the last two periods and overtime. The Red Wings play their final regular-season game on Sunday at Chicago.
Howard improved to 36-15-10 with the third shutout of his brief career.
A year after making the playoffs for the first time, the Blue Jackets closed with their fifth straight loss to finish at 32-35-15.
The Red Wings improved to 6-9 in shootouts while the Blue Jackets fell to 2-10.
The game meant a lot to both teams, but for vastly different reasons. The Wings, already assured of a spot in the playoffs for the 19th year in a row (best of any major pro sports franchise), needed a win to improve their seeding in the West and maintain their momentum heading into next week's playoffs.
The Blue Jackets, with the postseason all but off the table three months ago, still had a shot at a top-five draft pick this summer _ if they lost.
Other teams had something at stake in the game as well, including those who don't want to meet the playoff-hardened Red Wings right away, along with the clubs battling the Blue Jackets for the worst record in the league and better draft position.
The Red Wings had an ideal chance to score with 12:34 left in regulation when Darren Helm carried the puck with speed and was given a penalty shot when Grant Clitsome draped himself on his back as he zeroed in on Mason. On Detroit's second penalty shot of the season, Helm skated in slowly but Mason poked the puck away.
NOTES: Columbus RW Derek Dorsett blocked a shot by Jonathan Ericsson late in the second period and had to be helped off the ice. He did not return. ... The Red Wings are now 0 for 2 on penalty shots this season; the Blue Jackets gave up one and stopped one. ... Some fans in the capacity crowd of 18,512 won the opportunity to travel to Sweden for the Blue Jackets' opening series next season. ... It was second time in 11 games that Columbus had been involved in a game that was scoreless through regulation. The Blue Jackets lost 1-0 in a shootout at Nashville on March 20.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Todd Bertuzzi scored on a backhand in the fourth round of the shootout to lift Detroit to a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, giving the Red Wings at least 100 points for the 10th year in a row.
Rick Nash scored in the first round and Pavel Datsyuk followed him with a matching goal before the goaltenders stopped the next two shooters for each team. After Jimmy Howard turned aside Columbus' R.J. Umberger, then Bertuzzi, 4 of 8 in shootouts this season, faked the forehand and netted the backhander past Steve Mason for the decisive goal.
Detroit, 12-1-2 in its last 15 games, outshot the Blue Jackets 34-15 in the last two periods and overtime. The Red Wings play their final regular-season game on Sunday at Chicago.
Howard improved to 36-15-10 with the third shutout of his brief career.
A year after making the playoffs for the first time, the Blue Jackets closed with their fifth straight loss to finish at 32-35-15.
The Red Wings improved to 6-9 in shootouts while the Blue Jackets fell to 2-10.
The game meant a lot to both teams, but for vastly different reasons. The Wings, already assured of a spot in the playoffs for the 19th year in a row (best of any major pro sports franchise), needed a win to improve their seeding in the West and maintain their momentum heading into next week's playoffs.
The Blue Jackets, with the postseason all but off the table three months ago, still had a shot at a top-five draft pick this summer _ if they lost.
Other teams had something at stake in the game as well, including those who don't want to meet the playoff-hardened Red Wings right away, along with the clubs battling the Blue Jackets for the worst record in the league and better draft position.
The Red Wings had an ideal chance to score with 12:34 left in regulation when Darren Helm carried the puck with speed and was given a penalty shot when Grant Clitsome draped himself on his back as he zeroed in on Mason. On Detroit's second penalty shot of the season, Helm skated in slowly but Mason poked the puck away.
NOTES: Columbus RW Derek Dorsett blocked a shot by Jonathan Ericsson late in the second period and had to be helped off the ice. He did not return. ... The Red Wings are now 0 for 2 on penalty shots this season; the Blue Jackets gave up one and stopped one. ... Some fans in the capacity crowd of 18,512 won the opportunity to travel to Sweden for the Blue Jackets' opening series next season. ... It was second time in 11 games that Columbus had been involved in a game that was scoreless through regulation. The Blue Jackets lost 1-0 in a shootout at Nashville on March 20.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Todd Bertuzzi scored on a backhand in the fourth round of the shootout to lift Detroit to a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, giving the Red Wings at least 100 points for the 10th year in a row.
Rick Nash scored in the first round and Pavel Datsyuk followed him with a matching goal before the goaltenders stopped the next two shooters for each team. After Jimmy Howard turned aside Columbus' R.J. Umberger, then Bertuzzi, 4 of 8 in shootouts this season, faked the forehand and netted the backhander past Steve Mason for the decisive goal.
2010年5月8日星期六
Kroenke tells paper he wants Rams to stay put
The MLB jerseys team's majority owner and chairman, Chip Rosenbloom, told the Post-Dispatch there's no reason to believe Kroenke isn't committed to keeping the team in St. Louis.
Rosenbloom said in an e-mail to the AP that he couldn't comment on details of the sales process.
Kroenke, who lives in Columbia, Mo., also owns the NBA's Denver Nuggets and the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Billionaire Stan Kroenke says he wants to keep the Rams in St. Louis.
Kroenke told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he will do "everything" he can to keep the Rams in his home state of Missouri. The comments, published Wednesday, are his first since announcing he wants to buy the 60 percent of the team he doesn't yet own.
Illinois businessman Shahid Khan is also bidding for the 60 percent stake in the Rams. Kroenke declined to comment on details of his bid and he has not returned repeated calls from The Associated Press.
Rosenbloom said in an e-mail to the AP that he couldn't comment on details of the sales process.
Kroenke, who lives in Columbia, Mo., also owns the NBA's Denver Nuggets and the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Billionaire Stan Kroenke says he wants to keep the Rams in St. Louis.
Kroenke told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he will do "everything" he can to keep the Rams in his home state of Missouri. The comments, published Wednesday, are his first since announcing he wants to buy the 60 percent of the team he doesn't yet own.
Illinois businessman Shahid Khan is also bidding for the 60 percent stake in the Rams. Kroenke declined to comment on details of his bid and he has not returned repeated calls from The Associated Press.
2010年5月7日星期五
MSG network to show Islanders-Rangers game in 3-D
NEW YORK (AP) - A regional TV network will broadcast next week's Islanders-Rangers game in 3-D, soccer jerseys joining a worldwide trend that affects few viewers now but could eventually change the way people watch sports.
Wednesday's hockey game on MSG is the first 3-D sports event on TV in the U.S. But hardly any viewers now have the 3-D capable sets that would allow them to see it.
Networks believe 3-D could be the next big thing, and many are rushing to offer programming. The Masters announced this week that next month's tournament will be available to Comcast subscribers with proper sets.
The NHL game will be available to Cablevision subscribers with 3-D-compatible TVs who get MSG HD. The network is in discussions with other cable providers.
Wednesday's hockey game on MSG is the first 3-D sports event on TV in the U.S. But hardly any viewers now have the 3-D capable sets that would allow them to see it.
Networks believe 3-D could be the next big thing, and many are rushing to offer programming. The Masters announced this week that next month's tournament will be available to Comcast subscribers with proper sets.
The NHL game will be available to Cablevision subscribers with 3-D-compatible TVs who get MSG HD. The network is in discussions with other cable providers.
2010年5月5日星期三
Stempniak's goals lead Phoenix playoff celebration
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The Phoenix Coyotes, the surprise team of the NHL, celebrated their first playoff berth since 2002 with a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche behind Lee Stempniak's two goals on Saturday night.
The Coyotes, still owned by the league after going through protracted bankruptcy proceedings last summer, soccer jerseys clinched the postseason spot earlier in the day when Calgary lost to Boston.
Four of Phoenix's goals came from players who joined the team at the March 3 trade deadline _ Stempniak, Wojtek Wolski and Derek Morris.
Stempniak, with both scores in the third period, has 12 goals in 12 games since he arrived from Toronto, including four two-goal games.
Former Coyotes forward Kevin Porter scored for the Avalanche, his first goal of the season.
Phoenix, already with the franchise record for points in a season, joined Washington and San Jose as the only teams to reach 100 this season. The Avalanche are eighth in the Western Conference, six points ahead of ninth-place Calgary.
Taylor Pyatt had a so-called "Gordie Howe hat trick" with a goal, assist and fight. Vernon Fiddler added a short-handed, empty-net goal as Phoenix matched its highest-scoring game of the season.
Stempniak's 25th goal came after a faceoff in the Colorado end, putting the Coyotes ahead 4-2 just under five minutes into the final period in front of a crowd of 17,188 _ Phoenix's second home sellout in a row. He added a power play goal moments later.
Wolski, who came to Phoenix from Colorado for Peter Mueller and Porter, scored the deciding goal against his former teammates in his first game with the Coyotes. He came through again.
His goal, which put Phoenix ahead 2-1, was set up on a point-blank block by Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Phoenix rushed the puck to the Avalanche end, and Wolski wristed in a shot from the left circle, his 22nd goal of the season and fifth since he joined the Coyotes.
Mueller, who has five goals and 10 assists since the trade, sat out the game because of a hip injury.
Pyatt's wicked wrister slipped past goalie Craig Anderson to make it 3-1 with 9:25 to play in the second period.
The Avalanche cut it to 3-2 when Milan Hedjuk scored his 22nd goal of the season on a deflected shot with just 35 seconds left in the second.
NOTES: Phoenix split the season series with Colorado 2-2 and has at least a .500 record against the top eight teams in the West. ... The Coyotes tied the franchise record for home wins at 27, set in 2001-02. ... Robinson tied Patrick Roy's franchise record for most appearances by a goalie with 65 and broke Roy's record of minutes played. ... Phoenix had lost two in a row after its franchise-record, nine-game winning streak.
The Coyotes, still owned by the league after going through protracted bankruptcy proceedings last summer, soccer jerseys clinched the postseason spot earlier in the day when Calgary lost to Boston.
Four of Phoenix's goals came from players who joined the team at the March 3 trade deadline _ Stempniak, Wojtek Wolski and Derek Morris.
Stempniak, with both scores in the third period, has 12 goals in 12 games since he arrived from Toronto, including four two-goal games.
Former Coyotes forward Kevin Porter scored for the Avalanche, his first goal of the season.
Phoenix, already with the franchise record for points in a season, joined Washington and San Jose as the only teams to reach 100 this season. The Avalanche are eighth in the Western Conference, six points ahead of ninth-place Calgary.
Taylor Pyatt had a so-called "Gordie Howe hat trick" with a goal, assist and fight. Vernon Fiddler added a short-handed, empty-net goal as Phoenix matched its highest-scoring game of the season.
Stempniak's 25th goal came after a faceoff in the Colorado end, putting the Coyotes ahead 4-2 just under five minutes into the final period in front of a crowd of 17,188 _ Phoenix's second home sellout in a row. He added a power play goal moments later.
Wolski, who came to Phoenix from Colorado for Peter Mueller and Porter, scored the deciding goal against his former teammates in his first game with the Coyotes. He came through again.
His goal, which put Phoenix ahead 2-1, was set up on a point-blank block by Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Phoenix rushed the puck to the Avalanche end, and Wolski wristed in a shot from the left circle, his 22nd goal of the season and fifth since he joined the Coyotes.
Mueller, who has five goals and 10 assists since the trade, sat out the game because of a hip injury.
Pyatt's wicked wrister slipped past goalie Craig Anderson to make it 3-1 with 9:25 to play in the second period.
The Avalanche cut it to 3-2 when Milan Hedjuk scored his 22nd goal of the season on a deflected shot with just 35 seconds left in the second.
NOTES: Phoenix split the season series with Colorado 2-2 and has at least a .500 record against the top eight teams in the West. ... The Coyotes tied the franchise record for home wins at 27, set in 2001-02. ... Robinson tied Patrick Roy's franchise record for most appearances by a goalie with 65 and broke Roy's record of minutes played. ... Phoenix had lost two in a row after its franchise-record, nine-game winning streak.
Juventus Hunting Stefan Kiessling
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 -- Italian and European giants Juventus are looking to sign striker Stefan Kiessling, according to latest reports.
Virgilio Sport reports that Juventus are eyeing the Bayer Leverkusen striker to replace David Trezeguet at the end of the current campaign. The French striker could leave the Turin-based club at the end of the 2009-2010 season and Juve are trying to World Cup Soccer Jersey find someone younger to replace him.
Virgilio Sport reports that Juventus are eyeing the Bayer Leverkusen striker to replace David Trezeguet at the end of the current campaign. The French striker could leave the Turin-based club at the end of the 2009-2010 season and Juve are trying to World Cup Soccer Jersey find someone younger to replace him.
2010年5月4日星期二
Hope for Ireland
Following a huge out cry of NHL jerseys football fans world wide after how France eliminated Ireland through a controversial goal scored by Thiery Henry, FIFA released a statement that read as follows:
"Due to recent events in the world of football, namely incidents at the play-offs for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, match control (refereeing) and irregularities in the football betting market, the FIFA President has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee.
The extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee will take place in Cape Town on 2 December 2009, starting at 15.00."
This is good news for Ireland because the meeting will take place two days before the world cup draw is made in the same city of Cape Town, South Africa. Although a lot if things will be discussed the outcome of this meeting is likely to determine if Ireland will get their deserved replay or not. If FIFA decides that a replay should be played, then the world cup draw will definitely be postponed to a later date.
The man who refereed the 2002 final between Brazil and Germany, Pierluigi Collina weighed on the controversial goal by saying that, time has come for FIFA to deal with the fans concerns over the referrers’ decision.
Before the start of any international game, a slogan is displayed at the center of the football pitch saying, ‘My Game is Fair Play’. It represents the positive benefits of playing by the rules, using common sense and respecting fellow players, referees, opponents and fans. The meeting therefore will be a defining moment for FIFA to lead by example in supporting what the banner says.
"Due to recent events in the world of football, namely incidents at the play-offs for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, match control (refereeing) and irregularities in the football betting market, the FIFA President has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee.
The extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee will take place in Cape Town on 2 December 2009, starting at 15.00."
This is good news for Ireland because the meeting will take place two days before the world cup draw is made in the same city of Cape Town, South Africa. Although a lot if things will be discussed the outcome of this meeting is likely to determine if Ireland will get their deserved replay or not. If FIFA decides that a replay should be played, then the world cup draw will definitely be postponed to a later date.
The man who refereed the 2002 final between Brazil and Germany, Pierluigi Collina weighed on the controversial goal by saying that, time has come for FIFA to deal with the fans concerns over the referrers’ decision.
Before the start of any international game, a slogan is displayed at the center of the football pitch saying, ‘My Game is Fair Play’. It represents the positive benefits of playing by the rules, using common sense and respecting fellow players, referees, opponents and fans. The meeting therefore will be a defining moment for FIFA to lead by example in supporting what the banner says.
2010年5月2日星期日
Stuttgart vs. Unirea Urziceni: CL Betting Preview
Still some qualifications issues to be decided on Wednesday, most notably in Group F where Inter and Barcelona still have work to do, and in I’m happy to take on the home side when VfB Stuttgart host Unirea Urziceni.
Sevilla cruised through to the last 16 from Group H, probably the weakest ever assembled in the Champions League, but while their match with already eliminated Rangers is just about as meaningless as it gets the clash in Germany is a monster.
Stuttgart must win on home soil if they are to overhaul the Romanians and make it into the knockout stages but they have won just three games all season in 20 matches and no sane person could surely be backing them at around the 1.70 mark to get the three points they need.
The Bundesliga side have managed just two victories domestically and they currently lie in the relegation zone. Their Champions League form has been better but three draws and a defeat in a group this poor has exposed their limitations, victory against a woeful Rangers team proved nothing, and coach Markus Babel paid the price.
The former Liverpool defender was dismissed last week and in his place comes Christian Gross. I can only assume that Stuttgart’s price is based on the much discussed ‘new manager factor’ but the Swiss chief has had barely 72 hours to get to know his new playing staff and the visitors can take advantage of their plight.
In contrast to their opponents on Wednesday Unirea have surged to the joint summit of the Romanian top flight on the back of seven games unbeaten in all competitions and manager Dan Petrescu looks a young coach with a bright future. His men triumphed over the group leaders last time out, no mean feat, thanks to an inspired display and their destiny is very much in their own hands.
Stuttgart will look to the midfield creative talents of Aliaksandr Hleb and Thomas Hitzlsperger for inspiration on Wednesday but they are a team in desperate need of a goal scorer and the stats back that up. Just seven goals in eight Bundesliga matches at the Mercedes-Benz-Arena so far this season tells its own story and I find it hard to imagine them causing too many problems for a well-drilled Unirea side.
One goal should be enough for the visitors to gain the point they need to progress and striker Marius Bilasco could well be the man to provide it. He has impressed so far in limited Champions League outings and could well be asked to lead the line on his own as Petrescu and his men seek to avoid defeat. it was 1-1 when this pair met in the reverse fixture and a similar results looks on the soccer jerseys cards again.
Sevilla cruised through to the last 16 from Group H, probably the weakest ever assembled in the Champions League, but while their match with already eliminated Rangers is just about as meaningless as it gets the clash in Germany is a monster.
Stuttgart must win on home soil if they are to overhaul the Romanians and make it into the knockout stages but they have won just three games all season in 20 matches and no sane person could surely be backing them at around the 1.70 mark to get the three points they need.
The Bundesliga side have managed just two victories domestically and they currently lie in the relegation zone. Their Champions League form has been better but three draws and a defeat in a group this poor has exposed their limitations, victory against a woeful Rangers team proved nothing, and coach Markus Babel paid the price.
The former Liverpool defender was dismissed last week and in his place comes Christian Gross. I can only assume that Stuttgart’s price is based on the much discussed ‘new manager factor’ but the Swiss chief has had barely 72 hours to get to know his new playing staff and the visitors can take advantage of their plight.
In contrast to their opponents on Wednesday Unirea have surged to the joint summit of the Romanian top flight on the back of seven games unbeaten in all competitions and manager Dan Petrescu looks a young coach with a bright future. His men triumphed over the group leaders last time out, no mean feat, thanks to an inspired display and their destiny is very much in their own hands.
Stuttgart will look to the midfield creative talents of Aliaksandr Hleb and Thomas Hitzlsperger for inspiration on Wednesday but they are a team in desperate need of a goal scorer and the stats back that up. Just seven goals in eight Bundesliga matches at the Mercedes-Benz-Arena so far this season tells its own story and I find it hard to imagine them causing too many problems for a well-drilled Unirea side.
One goal should be enough for the visitors to gain the point they need to progress and striker Marius Bilasco could well be the man to provide it. He has impressed so far in limited Champions League outings and could well be asked to lead the line on his own as Petrescu and his men seek to avoid defeat. it was 1-1 when this pair met in the reverse fixture and a similar results looks on the soccer jerseys cards again.
Five Must-See Football Matches This Weekend
The festive season is slowly winding down and the NFL jerseys football action is returning with Spain’s La Liga and England’s FA Cup the highlights this weekend.
Sports Pundit’s Game of the Weekend
Manchester United v Leeds United
English FA Cup
Sunday, 2pm (Central European Time)
It has been almost five years since these two English rivals faced off, making Sunday’s tie one of the most eagerly anticipated third-round FA Cup contests in a long time. Leeds, who are flying in League One these days, travel to Old Trafford to face old rivals Manchester United.
Of course, the English champions go into the contest as hot favourites but Leeds are having a season to remember in England’s third tier and will provide a problem or two. After all, they were only narrowly defeated by Liverpool in the Carling Cup earlier this campaign after a good performance.
Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson may rest a few big names but the Leeds players will be pumped for the occasion, especially with 9,000 fans making the journey over the Pennines. You still fancy Manchester United, but it should make for good viewing.
Sunderland v Barrow
English FA Cup
Saturday, 4pm (CET)
On paper this match-up is hardly evenly balanced, but such is the romance of the FA Cup, you just never know. These are the games which make the FA Cup the wonderful tournament it is.
And Barrow, who currently sit 16th in England’s fifth tier, did memorably reach the third round last season, where they were narrowly defeated by another big North-East club, Middlesbrough 2-1. Black Cats boss Steve Bruce intends to use his first-team stars and their home form in the Premier League is excellent but, again, you just never know.
FC Barcelona v Villarreal
Spanish La Liga
Saturday, 8pm (CET)
It will be quite the occasion for Barcelona in their first game of 2010, as they will show off their six trophy haul in front of the Nou Camp faithful. Last month’s Club World Cup crown is the latest addition to their cabinet. But Villarreal might be just the kind of side to crash the party.
Ernesto Valverde’s Villarreal took their time to get going this season, but recent results suggests they can challenge for a European berth as they currently sit ninth. Valverde ominously said, “We have got good results there (at the Nou Camp) in each of the last two seasons and that shows we are a team who can make things difficult for the big clubs.'' Then again, this is Barcelona we’re talking about.
Atletico Madrid v FC Sevilla
Spanish La Liga
The Spanish top flight gets underway again after the Christmas hiatus and struggling Atletico host high-flying Sevilla at the Vicente Calderon this Saturday. Fifteenth-placed Atletico need points to push away from the drop zone, while third-placed Sevilla want to stay in touch with the leaders.
Atletico boss Quique Sanchez Flores wants his side (who are only 2 points out of the drop zone) to turn things around in the new year, saying, "We would like things to change in 2010. We have to give everything in order to gain three points on Saturday”. But Sevilla aren’t the ideal opponents for such an immediate turn-around.
Celtic v Rangers
Scottish Premier League
Sunday, 1.30pm (CET)
The latest Old Firm match comes this Sunday, with Rangers leading the SPL by some seven points from their Glasgow rivals Celtic. While Celtic have a game in hand, it is a margin which will concern them at this stage of the season.
Rangers striker Kris Boyd, fresh from breaking Henrik Larsson’s SPL goalscoring record with five against Dundee United midweek, will be a big danger but he won’t be partnered by Kenny Miller who is suspended. For Celtic, Gary Caldwell is back from suspension and it could be a big boost.
Sports Pundit’s Game of the Weekend
Manchester United v Leeds United
English FA Cup
Sunday, 2pm (Central European Time)
It has been almost five years since these two English rivals faced off, making Sunday’s tie one of the most eagerly anticipated third-round FA Cup contests in a long time. Leeds, who are flying in League One these days, travel to Old Trafford to face old rivals Manchester United.
Of course, the English champions go into the contest as hot favourites but Leeds are having a season to remember in England’s third tier and will provide a problem or two. After all, they were only narrowly defeated by Liverpool in the Carling Cup earlier this campaign after a good performance.
Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson may rest a few big names but the Leeds players will be pumped for the occasion, especially with 9,000 fans making the journey over the Pennines. You still fancy Manchester United, but it should make for good viewing.
Sunderland v Barrow
English FA Cup
Saturday, 4pm (CET)
On paper this match-up is hardly evenly balanced, but such is the romance of the FA Cup, you just never know. These are the games which make the FA Cup the wonderful tournament it is.
And Barrow, who currently sit 16th in England’s fifth tier, did memorably reach the third round last season, where they were narrowly defeated by another big North-East club, Middlesbrough 2-1. Black Cats boss Steve Bruce intends to use his first-team stars and their home form in the Premier League is excellent but, again, you just never know.
FC Barcelona v Villarreal
Spanish La Liga
Saturday, 8pm (CET)
It will be quite the occasion for Barcelona in their first game of 2010, as they will show off their six trophy haul in front of the Nou Camp faithful. Last month’s Club World Cup crown is the latest addition to their cabinet. But Villarreal might be just the kind of side to crash the party.
Ernesto Valverde’s Villarreal took their time to get going this season, but recent results suggests they can challenge for a European berth as they currently sit ninth. Valverde ominously said, “We have got good results there (at the Nou Camp) in each of the last two seasons and that shows we are a team who can make things difficult for the big clubs.'' Then again, this is Barcelona we’re talking about.
Atletico Madrid v FC Sevilla
Spanish La Liga
The Spanish top flight gets underway again after the Christmas hiatus and struggling Atletico host high-flying Sevilla at the Vicente Calderon this Saturday. Fifteenth-placed Atletico need points to push away from the drop zone, while third-placed Sevilla want to stay in touch with the leaders.
Atletico boss Quique Sanchez Flores wants his side (who are only 2 points out of the drop zone) to turn things around in the new year, saying, "We would like things to change in 2010. We have to give everything in order to gain three points on Saturday”. But Sevilla aren’t the ideal opponents for such an immediate turn-around.
Celtic v Rangers
Scottish Premier League
Sunday, 1.30pm (CET)
The latest Old Firm match comes this Sunday, with Rangers leading the SPL by some seven points from their Glasgow rivals Celtic. While Celtic have a game in hand, it is a margin which will concern them at this stage of the season.
Rangers striker Kris Boyd, fresh from breaking Henrik Larsson’s SPL goalscoring record with five against Dundee United midweek, will be a big danger but he won’t be partnered by Kenny Miller who is suspended. For Celtic, Gary Caldwell is back from suspension and it could be a big boost.
2010年5月1日星期六
Fla. Gov. Crist pressed on GOP contributions
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who woke up this morning without the backing of soccer jerseys the Republican Party for his Senate campaign, told MSNBC that he would "probably" give back political donations from GOP supporters -- if asked.
Federal Election Commission reports show that Crist raised about $1.1 million in the first three months of 2010 and that he has $7.6 million in the bank.
"Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough asked Crist, "Are you going to give them that money back or are you going to keep it?" (Watch about 8 minutes into this video).
Crist responded: "Well, No. 1, nobody's asked me yet. Not one person has asked me yet. And I think they realize that the reality is they gave it to my campaign, they gave it to me in order to espouse the ideas I believe in."
Well, at least one person is asking for a refund: Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), called on Crist to give back donations, including $10,000 Cornyn gave Crist from his own political action committee. See an earlier On Politics post here.
Scarborough: "If they ask for money back will you give it back to them or will you keep it for the campaign?"
Crist: "Ah, probably give it back to them. It's not that big a deal. What really matters is we're able to communicate our message."
If Crist does return any money, the conservative Club for Growth PAC is prepared to help facilitate the effort. "Every dollar in Charlie Crist's campaign war chest was dishonestly raised, and he now has an obligation to refund his ill-gotten contributions to all those who request their money back," the group's president, Chris Chocola, said in a statement. "The Club for Growth PAC will be launching a contribution refund campaign immediately."
Today's story in USA TODAY on Crist notes that fundraising will be one of Crist's biggest challenges in his independent campaign for the seat vacated last year by Republican Mel Martinez.
Federal Election Commission reports show that Crist raised about $1.1 million in the first three months of 2010 and that he has $7.6 million in the bank.
"Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough asked Crist, "Are you going to give them that money back or are you going to keep it?" (Watch about 8 minutes into this video).
Crist responded: "Well, No. 1, nobody's asked me yet. Not one person has asked me yet. And I think they realize that the reality is they gave it to my campaign, they gave it to me in order to espouse the ideas I believe in."
Well, at least one person is asking for a refund: Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), called on Crist to give back donations, including $10,000 Cornyn gave Crist from his own political action committee. See an earlier On Politics post here.
Scarborough: "If they ask for money back will you give it back to them or will you keep it for the campaign?"
Crist: "Ah, probably give it back to them. It's not that big a deal. What really matters is we're able to communicate our message."
If Crist does return any money, the conservative Club for Growth PAC is prepared to help facilitate the effort. "Every dollar in Charlie Crist's campaign war chest was dishonestly raised, and he now has an obligation to refund his ill-gotten contributions to all those who request their money back," the group's president, Chris Chocola, said in a statement. "The Club for Growth PAC will be launching a contribution refund campaign immediately."
Today's story in USA TODAY on Crist notes that fundraising will be one of Crist's biggest challenges in his independent campaign for the seat vacated last year by Republican Mel Martinez.
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