UFC/Masters/NHL/NFL

Its been about a year and a half since I started watching UFC. Former co-worker Cory Kolt and Saskatchewan's self-proclaimed sexiest blogger had been bugging me saying its great. Finally, on the night that Brock Lesnar made his UFC debut fighting Frank Mir, I went to Cory's and watched. I was less than enthralled because all of the fights that night seemed to be less than two minutes long before ending. I couldn't get into it. Both Cory and SSB said it was an anomaly and not all UFC fights are like that. I gave it a second chance and I'm still watching today. However, if last night was the first time I had ever watched UFC, I would never be back. In the words of "Comic Book Guy" from "The Simpsons"...."WORST ONE EV-ER". It was so bad that I may have actually dozed off on the recliner-couch of SSB for a moment or two. Highlighting the crapfest was Anderson Silva. The middleweight champ not only embarassed himself, but he made a mockery of the sport in his bout with Damian Maia. If Silva was trying out for "Dancing with the Stars", he may have succeeded as all he did for the last three rounds was basically dance around the octagon while mocking an opponent that he could have put away with ease. Needless to say, UFC president Dana White was not a happy man after.
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/White-Calls-Silva-Maia-a-Disgrace-23782
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If there was any good news coming out of this first UFC pay-per-view from Abu Dhabi, it was that the whiny Hawaiian bitch known as BJ Penn lost his belt to Frankie Edgar. I'm not a big fan of "The Prodigy" after seeing him complain after both of his defeats to Georges St. Pierre. Enough of that, lets go from Abu Dhabi to Augusta and what an afternoon of golf we were treated to. Where do you start?

--Phil Mickleson: What an unreal round! Lefty electrified everyone with his performance especially on the back nine where he came oh-so-close to getting eagle on three straight holes.

--Tiger Woods: Scrambled all day to shoot a two under 70. He looked out of rhythm, but he somehow bounced back. He also got back to saying some expletives which is something he said he wouldn't do and something he apologized for after. In this one, I will defend Tiger. The emotion is part of his game. Part of that emotion is spouting off from time to time by using profane language. Is it right? No! Is he the only one that does it? No! If that is part of his game, he can't channel that, he has to keep it. He has toned it down and that's fine with me. The way Mickleson and Lee Westwood are playing, I can't see him winning, but if he gets off to a good start, he will get into the minds of the final pairing and then----well you never know.

--Fred Couples: I've always been a fan of Couples and I would love to see him come through today and win another green jacket. He is just hanging around right now, but he knows what has to be done on the final 18.

--Hunter Mahan: He is 6 under going in and I think he has a 67 or 68 in his bag. He might make it interesting.

--Mike Weir: Moving on...........how much longer is this guy going to cash in on his one biggest weekend. Soon, everyone will say Graham DeLaet is Canada's best golfer on the Tour. They might be saying that as early as the end of this year.

I don't know if today can equal yesterday, but if it does, golf fans are in for another tremendous afternoon.
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The Dallas Cowboys played many great games at Texas Stadium before moving into Jerryland this past season. The place where NFL history was made and players like Roger Staubach, Drew Pearson, Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Emmitt Smith did their thing went kaboom this morning as they imploded the stadium. Here it is.....



They let an 11 year old kid press the button to start the implosion. I'm guessing there are many Steeler, Redskin, Eagles and Giants fans who would have loved to hit that button.
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I had to laugh when the Canadiens-Leafs game hit the 60 minute mark last night. I don't think in the 100 year history of Les Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge have fans ever cheered as loudly for a tie as they did last night. I don't think anyone in attendance really cared that Toronto won in overtime. The only thing that mattered was Montreal got a point meaning they are in the playoffs--for at least 10 days or so. Classy move at the end of the game by Toronto as they gathered around referee Dan Marouelli and thanked him for what he has done over the past many years. It was Marouelli's last game with the orange armbands on and the move caught him by surprise. It caught Montreal by surprise too as they were heading off the ice before realizing what Toronto had done. Not to be upstaged, they all gathered to congratulate Dan as well. As classy as that move was, it wasn't as good as the move done in Minnesota.

Mike Modano was named the game's first star as the Stars beat the Wild. You know that Dallas came into existence after moving from Minnesota. Modano was a big part of that team and when he came onto the ice after being named first star, he was wearing his old Minnesota jersey. A great moment indeed! While Modano hasn't officially announced his retirement, one would think its coming perhaps as early as today.

How about the Bruins. They get three shorthanded goals in just over a minute to beat Carolina and clinch a playoff spot. THREE! Some teams don't get three shorties in a year much less a minute.

Karma thy name is Evander Kane. Watch this.....



Somewhere Marc Savard is smiling from ear to ear.
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15 of the 16 playoff teams are now known. The Rangers and Flyers meet this afternoon in a winner gets in game. Even though the game is in Philly, I like the Rangers to take this one. How many of you are in playoff drafts tonight?
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Yankees manager Joe Girardi is trying to tell people he would have pulled starter CC Sabathia yesterday even if he still had a no-hitter going. Sabathia went into the 8th before allowing his first hit in a game against Tampa. He was pulled off the bump as soon as the Rays got that first hit. There is no way Girardi would have ever pulled Sabathia when he had a no-no on the line. Those are too rare and to take him off the mound would have been foolish. I don't care if its only his 2nd start of the year. Those backing Girardi like FOX's Ken Rosenthal are full of crap too. It makes it a lot easier to say he would have been yanked once that first hit has been allowed.
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A tip of the hat to TSN's Ray Turnbull. Ray called his last curling game today in the gold medal final of the World Mens Curling Championship. After 25 years, he is calling it a career. I will say it once and I will say it again. One of the reasons why curling has become so popular in Canada is because of TSN and more importantly, because of Vic Rauter, Linda Moore and Turnbull. These three have brought the sport into our living room each winter by showing each draw from the Scotties and Brier, they've taught us about the game and they've did it in such an easy and comfortable manner that they have turned casual fans into experts. Turnbull could explain the game and its nuances in a very comfortable manner. I've had the opportunity to rub shoulders with Ray many times at curling events in Regina or elsewhere and he is just as personable off the ice as he is on it. I had the chance to interview him at the Brier when it was in Regina a few years ago and when the interview was over, we just talked curling for a while because there were so many questions I wanted to ask about strategy and other things. He was more than willing to answer every question I had. Now today when I watch and I see something happening that I don't understand, I go back to what Ray told me to see just what he or she is thinking when they are in the hack preparing to throw that hunk of granite down the ice. While its my guess that Russ Howard will step into Ray's shoes, it won't be the same. There are many great announcers and analysts out there and Ray Turnbull is one of them. If he were doing hockey or football, he would get more ink than what he does. Thanks Ray!
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