Give A-Rod the boot and another sports riot

From where I sit it looks like MLB isn't interested in giving Alex Rodriguez a break.

 via telegraph.co.uk

Good. They shouldn't. The guy is a scammer and a cheat. He's lied to everyone and continues to deny all accusations. I don't really understand what Rodriguez is trying to accomplish. It seems unfathomable that he's innocent. And with MLB looking at other ways to get him suspended it's hard to think A-Rod is anything but guilty. So, what's with the fight? How much is he paying his lawyers? He's not got much left in his career anyway. Rodriguez is 38, how many more seasons can he possibly have? He's making himself a target, and it looks like the league is quite content to take dead aim at him. I am fine with that. I'm tired of the arrogance. I'm tired of the lies. I'm tired of the bullshit. Just throw them out.

Once again a sporting event has been rocked by rioting...

That's Los Angeles. No, it's not over the Lakers. Not the Kings. Not the Dodgers or the Angles. It's Huntington Beach. Following the US Open Surfing Championships. Surfing? Riots? It's pathetic...and hilarious at the same time. Every time fans riot, we all end up looking like idiots. But, quite frankly, this is worse. It's surfing. In southern California. The LA area has seen it's own share of riots. Far too many had to do with racial tension. But take a look at the morons in this video. This isn't Compton. These aren't youth from the inner city. These are middle class kids with nothing better to do after a surfing contest. Arrest them and toss them in with the real criminals. Even for a night or two.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

A new arena in bankrupt Detroit and the Eskimos continue to struggle

From where I sit it looks like another new NHL rink is in the works...this time in Detroit.

via wikipedia

That sounds like a good plan. Joe Louis Arena is getting old. The Red Wings are an integral part of the NHL. So, it only makes sense that they get a new arena. It's always a contentious issue when the idea of a new stadium is floated. But, the timing here couldn't be worse. Detroit is bankrupt. Not the team. The city. The city is bankrupt and they're talking about a new arena? $284 million dollars from the city? Quite frankly, it's not just moronic, but dangerous. Take a scared and confused city, then planning to throw money around can't be a wise way to gain trust. Of the populace or otherwise. Yes, the Red Wings will need a new rink, but now is not the time. Get your city in order, then we can talk $650 million dollars for hockey teams.

It's not often a team's season can be summed up in two plays...but it's possible with the Eskimos.

via canadian press

A pathetic showing on 1st-and-goal with 28 seconds left. They only got two plays off. It looked like a fire drill. Yes, John White's run should have been reviewed. That's no excuse for the Eskimos to be unprepared for the last two plays. There was about 11 seconds left following White getting stopped. That should be an incompletion and a QB sneak. At worst. As for the last play...who's brilliant idea was that? A draw play? I'd say it looked like the Eskimos had no confidence in their offensive line, but it's almost the opposite. Montreal had basically everyone cramming the line of scrimmage...and Edmonton had five linemen. Even if Craig Cox had been blocked, there were so many Alouettes in the backfield White wasn't going anywhere. Oh ya...and the Eskimos picked up another 13 penalties for 111 yards. It's hard to win when you're basically giving up a free touchdown every game.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

A real suspension from MLB and a clean Tour winner?

From where I sit it looks like MLB has finally stepped up to the plate.

via cbsnews.com

With Braun gone for the next couple months the League is throwing the book at him. And I hope it leaves a dent! PEDs have become an epidemic in sports. More frustrating for me is the self-righteous jerks coming out with their faux denials. Just shut up. Tell the truth. You got caught. There's the apocryphal story of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the boy begging, “Say it ain't so Joe, say it ain't so.” To which Jackson allegedly replied, “Yup kid, I'm afraid it is.” Give me the truth. Please. Remember Andy Pettite used PEDs. He confessed and is still highly regarded. But, it's the liars like Braun who leave fans grasping for any semblance of truth. Or faith in their heroes.

Which leads quite nicely to a deserving Tour de France champion...I think

via telegraph.co.uk

I want to believe Chris Froome. I want to think that he's clean. I really do. But it's not easy. With all the sordid recent history of the Tour I have a hard time putting my faith in any bicycle racer. Froome seems honest and forthright. He's faced a lot of questions in the last couple of weeks. The vast majority of them along the same line...are you clean? Can we trust you? Sadly, we have all been taken by Lance Armstrong and his career of lies. This has left all riders cursed. No matter how upstanding the rider, there will be questions. Possibly for years. It's a hopeless situation for everyone. It's not only the riders having their accomplishments questioned, but robbing the fans of the enjoyment of competition. This looks like the biggest fallout from the Armstrong debacle. It's not just the impact on the riders. But leaving the fans wondering if any of it is worth the effort.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

The Leafs plan a Stanley Cup parade and more stupid NFLers

From where I sit it looks like the new CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Tim Leiweke is in trouble...already.

via thechestnutparkblog.com

To be honest I agree with him on a certain level. Leiweke wants to remove the pictures from where the players can see them. He's not talking about the concourse or ignoring the history, but not reminding the players every time they walk to the ice. Let's face it, the parents of these players might not be old enough to remember the last Cup in Toronto. Montreal is similar, but does it in a much different way. The celebration of tradition for the Canadiens stretches back 60 years. With Toronto it just feels forced. As for planning the parade route...why not? What's the worst that could happen? The Leafs don't win? If it helps start a winning mentality let him plan it. And if it works...every team in the league will start.

Meanwhile, in the latest edition of athletes acting like idiots we get the NFL's Pouncey brothers.

via espn.go.com

I need to take a step back and remind everyone, including myself, that we live in a society in which everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty. So is Aaron Hernandez. However, that doesn't excuse the behaviour of this two morons. They didn't speak out in support of a friend, they wore hats demanding 'Free Hernandez'. He's not being held captive, he's being held for murder, among other things. And these bozos think they're being witty. It's more of a sad comment on the current state of football, when a player being arrested isn't shocking any more. According to ArrestNation.com there have been 38 pro footballers arrested/cited/charged just this year. That's tied with college basketball for 2^nd. College football is 1^st with an appalling 76. Just for reference pro basketball and pro baseball have seven each. Pro hockey only one. More importantly it's time for these idiots to stop acting like, well, idiots. I don't think it's asking too much for athletes to show at lest some restraint. In the words of John F Kennedy, “To those whom much is given, much is expected.”

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Kovalchuk can stay in the KHL and another boring All-Star game

From where I sit it looks like the KHL is still trying to compete with the NHL...

Yes, Kovalchuk is the biggest name to jump ship, but he's not the first and won't be the last. Some questions have been raised about other Russian stars heading back to play at home. I can't really see that happening in any appreciable numbers. The NHL is the best league in the world. Sure, the money is better in the KHL...but the quality of opposition isn't. Neither is the officiating. Nor the accommodations. Or transportation. Or lifestyle. Kovalchuk and others can go play in the KHL, but their skills will always be questioned because they aren't playing against the highest competition. Just take a look at Kovalchuk's numbers this year. He was the 3^rd leading scorer on SKA St. Petersburg (18g-24a) and played 16 less games. With the Devils he played one more game (37 NHL, 36 KHL) and had 10 less points. Kovalchuk can go. And not come back. The NHL has the best players...at every position. If you can't or wont battle through it, just leave.

TheMLB All-Star game is almost here...and I don't care.

Yes, this is the most relevant game of a sorry lot, but it's still boring. Outside of the winner getting home field in the World Series, this is a nothing game. I will give the game credit for being the only one that even moderately resembles a real game. The NHL and NFL games are both jokes and the NBA isn't much better. At least basketballers can revert to street-balling and create some excitement. But both hockey and, more so, football, are collision sports. And nobody wants to get hurt in an All-Star game so both almost have a no-contact rule. Baseball on the other hand involves no hitting...apart from the ball. None the less, it's still not all that exciting.  There's too many players and way to many switches.  I can't keep track of who's playing where.  Most of the favorite players last little more than an inning.  I have basically no rooting interest for either team. But I will be watching...mainly because there's nothing else on!

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Lindros gets rejected and MLB heads towards more suspensions

From where I sit it looks like the list of Hockey Hall of Fame inductees is again cause for debate.

Not at all for who's on the list, all worthy choices. It's those deemed 'snubbed' by some reporters/pundits/experts. No matter who gets in there will always be questions raised about names left off the list. Tops this year seems to be Eric Lindros. Sadly, his above average numbers and intimidation factor don't override what happened off the ice. Sure, there are hall of famers with lesser numbers, but how many had his parents? Or his petulant attitude. From the start Lindros came across as a spoiled brat who pouted when things didn't go his way. Or, worse yet, got his parents to call and act on his behalf. Sadly, this is a product of the Canadian hockey ideal. It's the expectation that hockey players will set themselves to a higher standard. Unlike in some sports where the star will sulk if he/she doesn't get called on in tight games. Lindros and his family rarely measured up to public expectation. Whether, justified or not that will always be held against him...and his mom will call and complain about that too.

Speaking of whiny, rich jerks...big name Major Leaguers are in trouble.

Once again, big name players are facing sanctions over the use of PEDs. Once again, they refuse to answer questions. I guess there can be some honour among thieves. Nobody wants to tell the truth, or turn in their friends. All this is doing is making the players look worse. They are placing themselves in line with so many others who deny their culpability, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Fans know they cheated. Clearly, MLB has evidence they cheated. But they sit there denying it all, like a 4-year-old caught with a hand in the cookie jar. And, what do they gain through mindless denial? Certainly not respect from the fans. Don't piss in my ear and tell me it's raining. We know you are cheats and the sooner you tell the truth, the sooner we can all move on.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Silva acts like an idiot...and so does NASCAR

From where I sit it looks like Anderson Silva made a complete ass of himself.

There's not many other ways to describe what happened. Chris Weidman deserved more respect than what Silva afforded him in the octagon. Sometimes you need to see the entire fight to grasp the nuance of what happened. Sometimes a fight can be easily summarized in 10 seconds. Silva wanted to play stupid games. And he did. Weidman wanted to fight. And he did. Hubris may be the best word for Silva on the night. A stupid, arrogant display of contempt that ended precisely the way it should have. Weidman deserved the win and the title, if even just for taking his opponent seriously.

Speaking of moronic decisions brings me to NASCAR and the Coca-Cola 400.

Once again a green-white-checker finish left just as many cars wrecked as fighting for the win. In fact this time they managed to one up themselves in dangerously stupid choices..and basically ignored their own rules in the process. I grew up in the 'good old days' where the drivers 'raced back to the flag' when the yellow came out. However, in a wise move to make racing safer and give emergency crews more response time the field is frozen almost as soon as a crash happens. But, not Saturday night. For reasons known only to themselves a 6 car wreck was fully ignored, presumably for the sake of a dramatic finish. And it was dramatic...with another dozen or so cars piling up. What will it take for NASCAR to wake up and see the danger? Sadly, it will probably take a full-on tragedy for changes to be made.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Happy Independence Day

From where I sit I want to wish my American family, friends and followers a very happy 4^th of July.

I am Canadian. I always will be proudly Canadian. However, I will celebrate the 4^th today. Let's face it, everybody loves a party...and those thrown in the USA can hardly be matched. It's also an opportunity to remember how blessed we are. We share an undefended border. Our battles are fought in stadiums between teams, not in the streets between gangs. Disagreements are settled in board rooms with handshakes, not in war zones with guns. Canada and the United States share a bond, unlike anything else in the world. We celebrate victories together. We mourn tragedies like the Boston bombings or the lost firefighters in Arizona. We welcome people from around the world to share our freedoms. It's knowing when push comes to shove we stand together. It's the bond of friendship, of rivalry, that can only be shared between friends as close as we are.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

The Coyotes stay put...for now

From where I sit it looks like the Phoenix Coyotes are staying in Arizona...

Or is that the Arizona Coyotes are staying in Phoenix? Or Glendale? I think. In any case, I'm so relieved this is over with. It's great that the City of Glendale has made a commitment to keeping a money losing franchise locked up for the next 5 years...which should be enough time for Seattle to get a new rink built so the Coyotes won't have to play in Key Arena. Glendale City Council can't afford emergency services, and they continue throwing good money after bad.  A new stadium is on the way in Edmonton. City Council here had lengthy debates about money potentially being spent in other areas, however there won't be cuts to services. Firefighters and Edmonton Police are still getting their share of the budget. Taxes aren't going up. It should also be pointed out...the Oilers suck! They haven't made the playoffs since 2006. And it's the toughest ticket in town. The Coyotes went to the conference final last season and missed the playoffs this year by 4 points...and they can't get anyone to attend! After getting a sell out on opening night, only 8,355 people bothered to show up 3 days later. So, I'm glad the Coyotes are staying in Glendale. It will give Seattle time to properly get ready for their team in 5 years.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.