That Didn't Really Happen Did It?

(Justin Morneau picture courtesy Canadian press)



It won’t go down in the annals of great sports upsets like Belarus vs Sweden at the Salt Lake Olympics but Canadian baseball fans will feel the sting of last night’s events at Skydome. After playing so well against the U-S on Saturday, Justin Morneau and the rest of the Canadians were as flat as my Grade 8 prom date(name withheld to protect the innocent) as they lost to Italy—yes Italy 6-2 thus ending the World Baseball Classic for this nation. It started badly as the first hitter of the game knocked one back to starting pitcher Vince Perkins who bobbled it and it went downhill from there. Give the Italians credit as this group of mostly semi-pro players played the fundamentals of the game to a T along with providing some great defence but really….IT WAS ITALY!!!! There is no joy in Mudville this morning. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t think Canada would win the event or even place in the top 4…..but I did expect them to beat Italy.
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Joel Jordison let one get away at the Brier as he led Glenn Howard 6-4 playing the 10th but the crafty Howard found a way to score 3 in the 10th for a 7-6 win. The game winning shot was something you will have to see for yourself as it is beyond description and may go down as the shot of the year. Howard and Kevin Martin are once again the class of a very talented Brier field as both are 5-0. Jordison is 1-4.
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Now that Guy Carbonneau has been fired by the Montreal Canadiens, how strong will the push be to have Patrick Roy as his replacement. What a difference a year makes in Montreal.
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I thought the Oilers would trade Dustin Penner at the trade deadline but obviously there were no takers. One has to think if Craig McTavish remains in Edmonton next year that Penner will not be there. It looks like he will be a healthy scratch for tonight’s game in Montreal. Penner for Jason Spezza---I could see it. By the way I am hearing ESPN is ready to get back into the NHL. That can only help.
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It sounds like Kevin Glenn might get wooed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. If he were to end up there I would think it would be as the backup to Quinton Porter. If he were come to Saskatchewan, I would see him as the backup to Darian Durant with Steven Jyles and Drew Tate fighting it out for 3rd string. Dalton Bell could use a full year to learn the CFL game and I’m sure the Riders could find a way to “hide” Bell so that no other team could get their mitts on him. By the way, I asked the question yesterday about who would you rather have as the starter when the 2009 season starts, Durant, Glenn or Casey Printers. I go with Durant in a landslide. I still say if he doesn’t suffer that rib injury against the Argos last year that Michael Bishop would never ever have worn green. I would have no problems with Glenn coming---but as mentioned it would be as a backup and Printers would just be a disaster. I really wonder if like Bishop, we have seen the last of Printers in the CFL.
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Still with the Riders, they don’t have a pick in the first round of the CFL draft. Hamilton and Toronto each have two picks in the top 4. If you were to make a deal with the Ti-Cats or Argos to get one of those first four picks, who would you dangle. One friend of mine (again name withheld to protect the innocent) says Andy Fantuz because he would be a natural sell for the two Southern Ontario teams and he is a free agent at the end of the 2009 season and may head home anyhow. An intriguing thought for sure. I’ll have to think about that one.
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Terrell Owens in Buffalo???? I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one. The Bills aren’t close to being a Super Bowl contender. Were they the only takers??? If T-O wasn’t such a disruptive force I would think teams like New Orleans, San Diego and Jacksonville would be interested but Buffalo. Maybe the deciding factor was Owens will get a chance to hang out with Danny Barrett.
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You knew this was coming. The A-Rod conspiracy theories are now starting to come out. Its being suggested the Yankees 3rd baseman hip surgery isn’t as bad as what is being reported. Its also being suggested that commissioner Bud Selig knows he can’t suspend Rodriguez because he was the only one of 104 players named when this scandal erupted. Under the rules, a first time offender is suspended 50 games and coincidentally he would be ready to once again play on the day the Yankees are scheduled to play Game 51 of the 2009 season. HMMMMMMMM!!!!