Maybe I Was Wrong

I didn't think the Oilers would do much this season. They changed coaches and they added a goaltender--thats about it. There was no reason for optimism. Its still early, but they look like a good hockey team. They improved to 6-2-1 after getting five in the third to beat Columbus 6-4. After being in the doghouse all of last season, Dustin Penner has really emerged. The big guy's confidence is back and its showing as he has 14 points (7g-7a) in nine games including a five point night against the Blue Jackets. I'm guessing he's having fun with Pat Quinn as his coach instead of Craig MacTavish. Will this fine play continue? I hope so!
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Mike Scioscia did his damndest to give the Yankees the American League title, but he didn't so the series is headed back to New York. The Anaheim manager with a couple of real head-scratchers as far as I'm concerned in this one. I don't know why Scioscia felt the need to remove starter John Lackey from the game after he had pitched 6 2/3 innings. He was looking fine and didn't need to have the ball taken from him. Scioscia took it away and moments later a 4-0 lead was a 6-4 deficit. The Angels rebounded to score three in their half of the inning to retake the lead, but Scioscia seemed bound and determined to lose it for them in the 9th. After getting the first two outs, he decides to intentionally walk Alex Rodriguez. Why? A homerun by Rodriguez would tie the game, but not win it. Putting the tying run on base was a recipe for disaster and it just about ended that way as the Yankees loaded the bases before getting that 3rd out that sends the series back to Yankee Stadium. Sorry, but I'll take my chances with A-Rod. If he homers or gets on base by his volition then fine, but to give him a free pass and have that tying run on base. If Hideki Matsui homers, Scioscia has egg on his face until spring training.
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I don't care who is quarterbacking the B.C. Lions on Saturday afternoon. It can be Casey Printers, Travis Lulay, Jarious Jackson, Jerry Tagge, Roy Dewalt or Don Moorhead. The bottom line is the Riders have to win this game and they should win this game. I really can't see this team laying an egg at home Saturday afternoon. After such an emotional game last weekend---one that many guys feel was taken from them---I think they are going to go out and take some of that frustration out on the Lions. All I know is I am expecting the park to be very loud on Saturday---right from the opening kickoff. Even if the Lions should jump out to an early lead, fans can not sit on their hands. They need to be the 13th man right off the bat. I'm really looking forward to this one.
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ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips is just getting crushed these days by some media outlets and while what he has done is not right, I think the spotlight is being put on the wrong person. Phillips got too involved with a 22 year old intern at the Worldwide Leader. He tried to break things off and the woman went all "Fatal Attraction" by visiting his wife, trying to become one of his son's Facebook friends, etc. etc. Yet no one wants to call this woman "psycho" and is heaping all of their abuse on Phillips. As I said, Phillips is in the wrong here for having an affair, but he wouldn't be the first guy to have some 20-some woman looking to make a name for herself latch on to his leg. The problem is the stereotype of today has the guy taking all the blame when its obvious in this case that this woman is just a little cuckoo---at least from some of the reports I am seeing. Its not as bad as the Steve McNair story and the age difference was a little closer in the David Letterman saga, but it is interesting to note how everyone goes searching through the closets of the man looking for the skeleton when in this case it would seem clear as if the woman Phillips was involved with doesn't appear to be stable. He's not the first, he won't be the last.
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We have seen good looking 3rd jerseys, and we have seen ugly 3rd jerseys. Then there's this....



This is what the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs wore Wednesday night in their annual salute to the military. They wore this one-of-a-kind Don Cherry jersey for the event. You can actually bid for the sweaters that were worn---all of them autographed by Grapes--if you go to the Frontenacs website at http://www.kingstonfrontenacs.com/DonCherryMilitaryNight.
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A 75-thousand seat football stadium is going to be built in Los Angeles with hopes of the city landing an NFL team once again. The early word is the Jacksonville Jaguars would re-locate in L-A and go to the NFC West with Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona. The St. Louis Rams would leave the division and go to the AFC South to take the spot of the Jags. I would have to think the Buffalo Bills would be a candidate as well. Sorry Toronto, if Roger Goodell has his choice between L-A and Toronto, he is going to L-A in a heartbeat.
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TSN wants to know who has the best goalie mask right now. How about asking who had the best goalie mask period. The answer----Gerry Cheevers!! That mask was cool and every time he took a puck off it, he painted another set of stitches on it.
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I talk about Steve Phillips getting some heat, but that's nothing compared to what Jeff Fisher is getting in Nashville from Titans fans. If you missed it, former Colts coach Tony Dungy was in Nashville to deliver a speech and Fisher--a good friend of Dungy's--was asked to deliver the introduction. Fisher did that, but before welcoming Dungy on stage, he removed his sweater to show the crowd he was wearing a Peyton Manning Colts jersey. Fisher then went on to say he wanted to know what it was like to feel like a winner. Some believe in Titans-land that Fisher should have been fired on the spot. C'mon!! Relax just a little. He did it out of respect for Dungy and he did it as a joke. When you are 0-7, you have to lighten the mood a little bit. His choice of words might have not been the best considering the record of his team as I'm sure they heard that and basically heard their coach saying his team is a bunch of losers, but that can be addressed. Besides, what can the Titan players say about themselves after getting their ass handed to them by 59 on Sunday. Not much! You fire Fisher today and he will be with another team within days. He's the longest tenured coach in the NFL for a reason.
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Finally, I know Rider fans have many things with the /=S=/ on it and they own many pieces of memorabilia. However, this would be going a little too far.


Yes Boston Red Sox fans, you can get some game used underwear(hopefully washed) from Jonathan Papelbon. I'm sorry, but any Rider fan or fan of any team who would want to buy game used underwear from any player only has 50 cards in their deck if you know what I mean. Just imagine going over to your buddy's house and he proudly shows you a framed print of Darian Durant's undies from the Labour Day game. Uhhhh yeah that's great...how much did you pay for that. Uh-huh!!! I'll have that beer now thanks!