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1. Los Angeles Angels (76 46): Last week the Angels has a 99.7% chance of making the playoffs, this week it is up to 99.9% (according to ESPN.com). Its only a matter of days before they clinch their spot in the playoffs!
2. Chicago Cubs (76 48): The Cubs have a 97.6% chance of making the playoffs, which is second best behind the Angels.
3. Tampa Bay Rays (74 48): The Rays set their franchise win record a few weeks ago now they are attempting to do something that neither they, the Blue Jays, nor the Orioles have been able to accomplish in a long time: finish ahead of both the Red Sox and Yankees.
4. Boston Red Sox (71 53): Boston trails the division leading Rays by 4 games, but they are 5 games up on the Yankees. Something tells me many Red Sox fans will settle for the Wild Card and eliminating the Yankees from the playoffs altogether as opposed to winning the division crown.
5. Milwaukee Brewers (71 53): Remember when the National League Central was the laughingstock of baseball? Now, according to the Power Rankings, they are on par with the AL East (2 teams in the top 5, with an average position of 3.5).
6. Minnesota Twins (70 53): The Twins sit half a game ahead of the White Sox for the AL Central lead.
7. Chicago White Sox (69 53): The White Sox have outscored their opponents by 80 runs (which is best in their division) but they still trail the Twins by half a game. Of course, they appear ready to make up that half a game as they lead the Athletics by 8 runs as the Power Rankings are being typed.
8. St. Louis Cardinals (70 57): The Cardinals move up a position in the rankings from last week, and in turn, prove that the NL Central might be the best division in baseball (at least the top half).
9. New York Mets (68 56): Last week I said the Mets needed to start playing more consistent baseball if they hoped to make the playoffs. Now, the Mets are riding a 6 game winning streakwhich ought to be consistent enough!
10. New York Yankees (66 58): According to ESPN.com, the Yankees have only a 6.5% chance of making the playoffs. Something tells me the Steinbrenners won't be pleased this October when they are watching the Rays and Red Sox in the playoffs.
11. Toronto Blue Jays (64 60): Torontos .516 winning percentage would be enough to put them in a tie for first place in the National League West. Instead, they are mired in 4th place in the much tougher American League East.
12. Philadelphia Phillies (65 58): The Phillies are 2.5 games behind the Mets, mostly due to the Phillies putrid play lately (3-7 over their last 10 games, including a 4 game sweep in Los Angeles).
13. Arizona Diamondbacks (64 60): The Diamondbacks stay steady at #13 in the rankings (and, more importantly, in first place in their division).
14. Los Angeles Dodgers (63 60): Thanks to a recent 4 game sweep of the Phillies, the Dodgers have climbed back into the top half of the Power Rankings (and a mere half game behind Arizona for the division lead).
15. Florida Marlins (64 61): The Marlins are last team remaining on the Power Rankings with a chance of making the playoffs greater than 10%. They should thank their lucky stars they play in the NL East as opposed to almost any other divisionespecially since they have been outscored by 31 runs this year!
16. Houston Astros (63 61): The Astros proved me wrong (when I said they would tank the rest of the season) by winning 8 of their last 10. Unfortunately for Houston fans, its probably too little, too late.
17. Texas Rangers (62 62): The Rangers fell to .500, and in the process fell 3 spots in the rankings.
18. Cleveland Indians (56 67): The Indians get the nod for the highest ranked team with a losing record thanks to their hot play lately (5 game winning streak).
19. Baltimore Orioles (60 63): Despite being in last place, the Orioles have actually outscored their opponents for the year!
20. Detroit Tigers (60 64): So much for 1000 runs and the best team ever assembled. At this point, its safe to say the Tigers were nothing but a colossal disappointment.
21. Colorado Rockies (57 69): When more than half the teams in baseball have a winning record, the teams in the bottom portion of the Power Rankings are going to be especially bad. For further proof, the Rockies, a team 12 games under .500, are within reach of the top 66% of the rankings with only a few weeks to go.
22. Oakland Athletics (56 66): The Athletics are now 10 games under .500it was not all that long ago when they were 6 games over .500. Ouch.
23. Atlanta Braves (56 68): The Braves have outscored their opponents (barely), but that suggests that they have been unlucky this year more than anything else. Of course, cynical baseball fans will say its about time the Braves had some bad luck go their way after their run of division titles and pitchers with larger strike zones than everyone else.
24. (tie) Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals (each 55 69): Combined, the Pirates and Royals have been outscored by 200 runs and have gone 5 and 15 in their last 10 games. Despite that, they are both better than 5 other Major League teams.
25. (see #24)
26. Cincinnati Reds (55 70): With the trading away of Griffey and Dunn, the Reds have no hope for a winning record once again, which pains me to say as a Reds fan.
27. San Francisco Giants (52 71): The Giants actually have a 0.1% chance of making the playoffsdespite their terrible record.
28. San Diego Padres (48 75): Not to be outdone by the Giants, the Padres also have a 0.1% chance of making the playoffsand they are even worse than the Giants!
29. Seattle Mariners (46 76): The good news is, the Mariners are not the worst team in baseball. The bad news is that they are still 30 games under .500
30. Washington Nationals (44 81): The Nationals have been outscored by 162 runs and are currently riding a 10 game losing streak. They might be lucky to win 6 more games (and reach the 50 win threshold) before the end of the season.
There you have it, another installment of my Major League Baseball Power Rankings. As always, let me know what you think in the comments.
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The US presidential snub came as American strategists warned that Pakistans intensifying political power struggle was imperilling the battle against al-Qaida and the Taliban.
As the National Assembly convened last night to begin the impeachment process, only 14 of 54 MPs from the Pakistan Muslim League (Qaid), on which Mr Musharraf relies for political backing, turned up for a vital pre-session meeting in Islamabad.
In a further blow, 26 PML (Q) members supported a no-confidence motion against their patron in the Punjabi provincial assembly.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the impeachment motion would be submitted during the current session, as Mr Musharrafs official spokesman, General Rasheed Qureshi, insisted he would not resign.
General Qureshi rejected allegations Mr Musharraf had misappropriated funds provided by the US for the war against al-Qaida and the Taliban.
The Government disclosed that the 100-page charge sheet against Mr Musharraf would include accusations of misconduct, financial irregularities and violations of the constitution, as well as criminal acts including murder.
Senior military officials said Pakistans army high command was increasingly concerned by the political turmoil triggered by the power struggle.
Washington was also seeking to defuse the confrontation that strategists said could create protracted turmoil in nuclear-armed Pakistan and threaten the fight against Islamic extremism.
The US fears the power struggle could prevent Pakistans civilian Government from moving against militants hiding in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and even jeopardise vital US military supply lines through Pakistan to Afghanistan.
Lisa Curtis, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, said: There are elements within the US administration who would be very nervous about Musharraf leaving the scene, as they think the civilians are not in control of the army and the ISI (spy agency).
Despite this, one of Pakistans best-informed journalists, Hamid Mir, reported yesterday that Mr Musharraf had failed to get an answer when he had tried repeatedly over the past few days to ring Mr Bush in the hope the US President might pressure the coalition in Islamabad to back away from impeachment.
But there were signs Washington was not abandoning Mr Musharraf completely, with US diplomats calling several times on Pakistan Peoples Party boss Asif Ali Zardari, apparently seeking assurances that, once removed from office, Mr Musharraf would be allowed to live securely within the country, or given safe passage abroad.
The reports highlighted the assumption that nothing could be done to save Mr Musharraf barring a coup detat by the military.
It emerged yesterday that army chief General Ashfaq Kayani had been in frequent touch with his old boss over the past few days, but the consensus in Islamabad was that he was unlikely to launch a coup.
Amid the political turmoil, al-Qas deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, issued a message his first in English in which he claimed Pakistan was now virtually ruled from the American embassy.
The leading newspaper The News raised doubts about the authenticity of the video delivered to a Pakistan news channel, dismissing it as a last-ditch effort of Musharraf to prove his opponents (are) partners of al-Qa
In the video, Zawahiri is quoted as saying: Pervez has insulted and compromised Pakistans sovereignty by allowing the CIA and FBI to operate freely in Pakistan and arrest, interrogate, torture, deport and detain any person, whether Pakistani or not, for as long as they like, thus turning the Pakistani army and security agencies into hunting dogs in the contemporary crusade.
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Just in, TSN/CTV has 'saved' the Hockey Theme Song. First, I didn't know the song needed saving. Second, this accounts for flat out thievery. The song didn't need to be saved. There was ongoing negotiations (or extortion) with the jingle writer Claman and CBC for the use of the song which has been in rotation for 40 years at the CBC. So with the extortion not going according to plan, Claman turns to CTV/TSN and extorts them.
CTV, big bad billionaire company, steals this song from public broadcaster CBC. Yes it's as bad as it sounds. I know CTV/TSN wants to pretend this was done to ensure the survival of the song but there wasn't much doubt that a deal would have occurred with the CBC. They would never let the song die but they sneak in, do a back-door deal and poof, it's been stolen.
According to CBC and how there was double-dealing going on:
We offered arbitration, mediation we offered to meet their price. On Friday, when it came right down to it, we never got a response from them on our latest offer and find out, in the meantime, they appeared to be negotiating with CTV.....If that is the price CTV wants to pay, it won't be the first time nor will it be the last time, probably, that they outbid us for something. They have a lot more profits than we do...
I've become more disillusioned and disappointed with TSN over the past couple years, particularly when they started broadcasting NHL games. They've become big, fat, loud and obnoxious. They're shit as broadcasters now who depend on gossip instead of storytelling. They spend more time shelling out the rumour-de-jour instead of actually commenting on real stories. Ten years ago when I moved out on my own and got cable for the first time, I was most excited to get TSN. A sports network that was dedicated to good sports broadcasting. It simply is not anymore. Maybe because I still believe NHL hockey belongs on CBC and they put on a better broadcast. TSN is filled with loud and idiotic broadcasters (Pierre Maguire anyone?) who prefer the sound of their own voice to sport. They are not The Sports Network, they are The Toronto Network....it's all about the Leaves even when they don't make the playoffs. They are THE first story on Sportscentre and are discussed at the exclusion of everyone else. The broadcasters make Don Cherry look unbiased.
After the story broke earlier today, there were quite a few comments on TSN's website under the story and the majority of them were NOT supportive of this move. Well I just checked and many of those negative comments are no longer there. Mmm interesting TSN.
TSN/CTV should be ashamed of this underhanded and sneaky ploy. I still prefer my sports from CBC and I was heartbroken when CTV/TSN won the 2010 Olympics. They do a shit job at the Olympics. A plague on your house CTV/TSN. This was not saving the song, it was theft from the big bad rich company over a public broadcaster.
So go ahead, buy a song synonomous with the CBC. It will not reduce CBC's hockey viewership, not their better sports broadcasts. You basically will give them free advertising since this song will be associated with CBC forever. You can't destroy history. I tune into CBC for the hockey, not a song.
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If you're like me you've come to the conclusion that either Chris Drury or Scott Gomez will end up having the distinction of being named the 25th Captain of the New York Rangers before the start of the season. With the other player being designated as an Assistant Captain. So the question is who gets the other "A"?
Let's look at the contenders...
The Favorites
Markus Naslund
Positives - Naslund was named captain of the Vancouver Canucks before the 2000 season (after the departure of Mark Messier) and held the title for the duration of his career in Vancouver. Naslund is a Lester B. Pearson Award winner (2003) and former Hart Memorial Trophy nominee (2003). He is also a three-time First Team All-Star, chosen in 2002, 2003 and 2004. After being traded to Vancouver in 1996, he became the franchise leader in goals and points. In 11 seasons with the Canucks, he was named team MVP five times and led the team in scoring for seven consecutive seasons both team records.
Negatives - Naslund finished last season with his lowest points total since 1997-98 and apparently became frustrated with coach Alain Vigneault's defensive coaching style. I guess Naslund didn't watch many Ranger games last year, because if he became frustrated with a defensive coaching style in Vancouver, it's not going to be much different here.
Michal Rozsival
Positives - Rozsival is the longest tenured Ranger defenseman and just recently signed a 4 year, $20 million contract. Rozsival's defining moment with the Rangers was his overtime winner against Buffalo in Game 3 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
Negatives - Rozsival is coming off of off-season surgery and his worst year defensively. Rozsival frustrated fans all year with his hesitancy to shoot on the power play. While he ended the season with a career high 13 goals, most Ranger fans will tell you he should have had close to 20.
Wade Redden
Positives - In 1999, Redden was named alternate captain of the Senators, a position he has held for nine seasons ever since. Redden scored double-digit goals in five of the six seasons between 1999 and 2006. During which time he was one of the premier power play quarterbacks in the league. He is a two-time All Star and was part of a strong defensive pairing in Ottawa's run to the finals in 2007. He also just signed a 6 year, $39 million contract, meaning he'll be manning our power play for a long time.
Negatives - After scoring double-digit goals in five of the six seasons between 1999 and 2006, Redden has not scored more than seven in the last two seasons. Last year, Redden was an assistant captain on a Senators team that absolutely folded down the stretch and lied to the Ottawa fans when he said he would take a hometown discount to stay in Ottawa right before he signed his $39 million deal with the Rangers.
The Dark Horses
Brandon Dubinsky
Positives - Dubinsky in his first full year as a Rangers rookie ended the season centering the team's number one line. He was one of sixteen rookies selected to participate in the 2008 YoungStars competition at the 56th NHL All-Star Game as well as receiving the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.
Negatives - Dubinsky is only 22-years-old and this will only be his second full season playing in the NHL. However, the Chicago Blackhawks just named 20-year-old Jonathan Toews the team's 34th Captain, so you never know.
Blair Betts
Positives - Betts has been with the team since the 2004 season and has quickly become one of the teams most reliable penalty killers and face-off men. Betts was also 6th on the team, 1st among forwards, with 98 blocked shots last year.
Negatives - Betts is a fourth line player who was a -4 last year and has yet to show any leadership qualities.
Ryan Callahan
Positives - Callahan personifies hustle on the ice. He was one of the keys to the Rangers run to the playoffs in 2007 as well as last year. His hustle play to score in Game 1 against New Jersey last year encapsulates what Callahan is about. Not to mention his work along the boards in Game 5 against New Jersey which helped clinch the game and the series.
Negatives - Callahan is only 23-years-old and has yet to play a full season in the NHL.
Looking at these contenders my feeling is that Naslund will end up rounding out the assistant captains. I think that Naslund's seven years as a captain in Vancouver can't be overlooked despite coming off his worst offensive season. And his being named team MVP five times says a lot. If one of our assistant captains gets injured, it should come down to Redden and Rozsival. However, Rozsival's three year tenure with the Rangers and my anticipation of a big year from him with Jagr not around clinches it for Rozsival in my mind.
However, if the Rangers end up re-signing Brendan Shanahan this whole article will be for not. What do you guys think.
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Look, I have the utmost understanding and patience for the down and outers who are trying to find a way back in to society. The poor, the homeless, the mentally sick all need our help. But the "harassment" of addicts is a ridiculous claim that's almost worthy of "bizzaro-world" proportions. Let's get one thing straight about the tide of human garbage that festers in Vancouver's downtown eastside: it is not security guards who "harass" them. It is the human tragedy of drug addicts that plague this city, wandering about looking for the next fix, intimidating tourists and passersby, rifling through garbage and dumpsters, breaking into shops, pilfering from recycling boxes, and sleeping, urinating, defecating, and vomiting on the front sidewalks of businesses. This is not just "public domain", but a place where honest people are trying to make a living amid the refugee crises of every provincial drifter with a heroin and crack habit.
The Pivot Legal Society, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users and the United Native Nations want the commission to "compensate" every addict they "harassed" $20. Talk about giving a diabetic a candy bar. What a stupid, misguided, ridiculous waste of taxpayer time and money. If anyone is to blame in all of this it isn't the exuberant rent-a-cops trying to keep lowlifes from scaring away business. It isn't the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association for trying to assist owners in keeping the human garbage at a respectable distance. And you can't even blame the addicts since, by this time, they're probably little more than brain cells that operate on a "fix-by-fix" basis.
No, blame Sam Sullivan and the city of Vancouver for allowing our liberal tolerance of open drug abuse to fester in this city. Blame them for focusing their energies on watching Vancouver grow into a city of riches and unspeakable wealth, whilst ignoring the plight of Vancouver's addiction problems. Whatever excuses the NPA comes up with for doing little to nothing to remove these people from the streets, it's not nearly enough to be next to nothing in effort. The Pivot Legal Society should be aiming their case at the NPA and Sam Sullivan for not acknowledging the crisis of drugs in Vancouver, and turning a blind eye to what will be the biggest eyesore in 2010.
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Nhl Hockey Rules The NHL Washington Capitals seek an experienced member of their team to serve as their Guest Services Specialist. This employee will be directly responsible for all revenue goals associated with an assigned account base of existing . Summary: ? Reports directly to the Director, Corporate Partnerships ? Corporate Partnerships Manager is a full-time, benefited position that is compensated through base salary and sales commissions ? The Corporate Partnerships Manager . Nhl Hockey According to the Ottawa Sun, the Senators could be close to acquiring San Jose Sharks defenseman Kyle McLaren or Anaheim Ducks defenseman Mathieu Schneider. Brochu's take: This is a Bruce Garrioch rumor, so take it with a bag of salt Many will argue that Renney has yet to achieve hockeys greatest prize, but for me he did what probably no other coach could do and that was teach Jaromir Jagr how to back check, Sean Avery how to be a useful NHL player and turn a bunch . Nhl Hockey Scores Summary: Reports directly to the Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations Senior Director, Marketing is a full-time, benefited, managerial position The Senior Director, Marketing is broadly responsible for management of all . Sportsbook.com NHL Hockey - 2008/09 Stanley Cup Futures Odds to win the 2009 Stanley Cup Wager is on who will win the NHL Championship In 2008-2009 Anaheim Ducks 8 - 1 Atlanta Thrashers 100 - 1 Boston Bruins 50 - 1 Buffalo Sabres 40 - 1 . Nhl Hockey Playoffs The thought of seeing Russia team name on the Stanley Cup might seem crazy now, but again, in Bobby Hulls day, the thought of NHL hockey in Florida and Arizona or having a team called the Anaheim Ducks on the Stanley Cup would have . Description: Staff Accountant will reconcile daily deposit folders received from Radio City Music Hall and The Chicago Theatre Box Office. Capture and record box office and remote ticket deferred revenue Nhl Hockey Teams Characterized by some as a slower Steven Stamkos, Hodgson who also played minor hockey with Stamkos maybe the real deal. He offers strong leadership on and off the ice, and whether he is slow on the strides, you can see for yourself Classics of Nintendo Hockey.just to think Blades of Steel is 20 years old.now that is amazing! Some of the old games you can look at now and think how cheesy they may look but without those first games...you would not see this Nhl Hockey Rules The Free Agency for NHL will begin in less than a week, and unlike previous years, the crop for this year is not that exciting. Having said that, there are a number of big names available for the highest bidder POSITION TYPE: Exempt Full Time with Benefits LOCATION: San Jose, CA Summary: The Sales Manager will sell corporate partnership packages in support of the objectives of the Sharks/SVSE/HP Pavilion corporate partnership functions Nhl Hockey The Edmonton Oil Kings are a member of the Western Hockey League and are owned and operated by the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club. Oil Kings home games are played at the home of the Oilers, Rexall Place. Oil Kings Staff are integrated into . Though at draft time there was still much political uncertainty, Jagr and other young Czechs would be allowed to leave the country to purse careers in the NHL. Previous generations of hockey stars in Czechoslovakia could only hope for . Nhl Hockey Scores Placed forward Shawn Bates on waivers. Bought out remaining one year on contract of center Jozef Stumpel. Nhl Hockey Playoffs Description: The Employee Relations Coordinator will administratively assist Employee Relations team with answering telephones, maintaining necessary Employee Relations forms, assisting employees with routine Employee Relations . Summary: The St. Louis Blues/Scottrade Center seeks qualified candidates for the position of Corporate Sales Coordinator. This position coordinates the St. Louis Blues and Scottrade Center Corporate and Sponsor Sales areas by conducting . Nhl Hockey Teams NHL Draft (Rounds 2-7) By: Bethany Bethany's Hockey Rants Nikita Filatov ~ The more I watch the youtube clips of this kid, the more I anxious I get to see him in a Blue Jackets uniform. He has a desire to come to Columbus to train with . Experience directing hockey preferred. Must be able to develop strong working relationships internally and externally. Will have excellent written, verbal, organizational, and time management skills. Candidate should be proficient in .
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The Sharks also sent defenseman Craig Rivet and a seventh-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for second-round selections in the 2009 and 2010 drafts.
The Vancouver Canucks acquired forward Steve Bernier from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a second round draft pick in 2010 and a third round pick in 2009.
Jaromir Jagr has officially signed with Avangard Omsk of the KHL for $5 million a year contract, believed to be a two-year deal with an option year.
The New York Rangers have re-signed defenseman Paul Mara to a one-year, $1.95 million contract.
The Canucks have also signed forward Mark Cullen to a contract. Terms were not disclosed.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Mikhail Grabovski to a one-year deal.
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At first glance, this is a great situation for Cunti, who tried to play last year at St. Cloud State University before the NCAA denied his amateur eligibility status. Cunti later joined the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League.
With Rimouski, Cunti will play on a stocked roster as Rimouski is the host team for the 2009 Memorial Cup.
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Boots Del Biaggio
So lets see how this all started. Jim Balsillie, who was dying to own an NHL franchise, bid $185 million in Oct. 2006 to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins had found a way to keep the franchise in Pittsburgh and it was well known that Balsillie wanted to move the franchise to Canada. Balsillie withdrew his bid and pissed off Mario Lemieux. In May 07, Balsillie made a bid for the Nashville Predators. He openly stated that he intended to move the franchise to Hamilton. He would get out of the lease for the Sommet Centre if the team didnt average 14,000 in attendance. He got the rights to Copps Collesium in Hamilton, Ontario and started receiving ticket deposits in an attempt to show the NHL board of governors that Hamilton was viable. The NHL was frustrated and didnt want to do Balsillie any more due diligence. It has been reported on numerous occasions that the NHL board of governors told Craig Leipold that he wont be allowed to sell the franchise to Balsillie. The NHL brought in William (Boots) Del Biaggio who purchased the franchise for $50 million less than Balsillie had offered.
Boots secured a $10 million loan to buy the Predators from Modern Bank. He has 3 separate lawsuits for providing forged documents to financial institutions and he has not repaid them. Modern Bank accuses him of providing him fake bank statements to get the loan.
Gary Bettman has now learned that two of his closest partners Philip Anschutz and Craig Leipold supplied Del Biaggio with $17 million to help him pay for $25 million he invested in the Predators. He owes $65 million to the top 20 creditors. That $65 million includes $10 million to Craig Leipold. Although he is only a minority owner this still really affects the NHLs credibility. Why was Del Biaggio shown due diligence and Balsillie not shown it? How can Craig Leipold finance the buyer of his team? Hes paying someone to buy his team. He lost $10 million out of it and Gary Bettman went to the board and said he had no part of it. No one looked at Gary wondering how the people he confides in did this without him knowing. Im also sure Leipold wouldnt want to loan someone $10 million to buy his team by choice. Anschutz may have his own reasons because he owns an arena in Kansas City where the NHL has been trying to relocate or expand for years. Bettman has always been as supporter of Kansas having an NHL franchise. Maybe Anschutz has gotten in his head a little. Everything seems fishy here.
Henry Samueli
The great owners of 2006-2007 NHL Champions are in some troubling times. Their owner is facing charges of perjury and stock option fraud. He is now facing 5 years probation and $12.2 million in fines. Bettman is supporting him as a philathropist and an NHL owner but he must be held accountable by the NHL. The NHL cannot afford to have felons on their ownership. Bill Daly has also offered his support to Samueli. The owners may still have the financial resources to support their clubs but they must be punished for what they have done. Bettman will not punish them because he fears that his friends may be booted out of the NHL ownership. This recent indefinite suspension is a slight slap on the wrist. NHL needs to bitch slap him and kick him out of here.
Solution
Leave the NHL in the dust. Canadian teams make up 40% of the NHLs revenue, 6 of 30 teams. Canada has TV contracts with TSN, RDS, and CBC. Get the Canadian teams and very strong American markets to leave the NHL and make a new league. You already have the TV rights. People like Balsillie would be GLAD to fund such a league. This league wouldnt need any salary cap or have any revenue issues because they have all the support in the world from Canadian fans. Americans dont care and never would care for the NHL so forget them. The winner of the Cup every year could join the elite leagues overseas for a Championship in a Champions League sort of thing. Lets leave this shit league and its shit ownership group in the dust.
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So on Sunday I took part in the Great Strides Walk with my girlfriend. All the cash goes to fight Cystic Fibrosis and of course find a cure.
It was amazing. There were hundreds (around 200) of people there and the Calgary Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raised close to $130,000 buckaroos. We kicked Edmontons aaaaaa butt!
The only snag was that it was raining.
Melissa (my girlfriend who suffers from CF) and I wanted to do a couple of rounds on the one-kilometre path but rain and CF just dont mix well. So the walk pretty much ended after the first go around the path. Either way it was a bunch of fun and it was good to see so many people helping fight against CF.
Melissa and I ended up raising over $4000.
It was a tremendous experience for both of us. I have never taken part in a walk/run and it feels good to do it for someone you love, not to mention with someone you love.
Where in the world is Kevin Taft??:
So, like the political loser that I am, I have been watching the Legislature when I get home from work. It hasnt been tough to notice the absence of the Leader of the Official Opposition.
Liberal Kevin Taft hasnt been sitting in Edmonton with his fellow MLAs, who are still battling it out on the floor against the PCs. So where did Taft go? At first I thought there may be some personal issues, or he was kidnapped, or possibly he just took a vacation. Well it seems the latter is correct.
According to an article in the Edmonton Journal, Taft is in Greece. No he didnt quit the Liberal Party to become an actor in musical theatre, he is taking a trip to the country in Europe.
It seems odd that he would duck out in the middle of the session. As Graham Thomson ponders, is he thinking about his future as the leader of the Liberals? Apparently he is set to announce his career plan in June and that could mean a leadership race in Alberta. While Taft has been lounging on a beach (we can only assume hes relaxing) the PCs havent been doing too bad with a number of well supported initiatives.
As the article explains, the only rumoured MLA interested in the spot is Dave Taylor. He has laughed at those suggestionsspecifically on Breakfast Television and made reference to my report a couple of months back. But lets not forget David Swann. The good doctor has been talking funny and sending out peculiar e-mails recently about change in the opposition and a rejuvination. Could he also be eyeing the Liberal prize? Like Taylor, he denies itbut hes missing the chuckle.
So would an ousting of the current leader and a race for a new one be a good thing for the Liberals. I think so, it makes perfect sense (and dont take this as a shot to Kevin TaftI am saying nothing about his ability to run the party). The Liberals desperately need to rejuvinate support for their party (as Dr. Swann says) and if you claim youre new with the same line upre setting yourself up to be knocked down, unless you have a brilliant strategy..which of course would have been useful before the election. An actual leadership race would keep the party in the news and renew interest (even if only a little). People will want to know who the new leader is going to be and after that they may want to know what the new direction will be for the party. People may keep paying attention and support can grow. Heck, Taft was able to do it in 2004 to get a reasonable seat count, why not in 2012?
Whatever, Im not a political strategist or a political scientist so I could be way off the mark. But at least it makes sense to me. What do you think.
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Its a threshold only five other players have previously entered.
In the first inning vs. the Marlins, Griffey hit a two-run home run off Marlins left-hander Mark Hendrickson.
After Jerry Hairston Jr. led off the game with an infield single, he stole both second and third base with Griffey up. On a 3-1 offering from Hendrickson, Griffey connected on a curveball.
Gone. There was no doubt about it.
Griffey trotted slowly around the bases and high-fived first-base coach Billy Hatcher as he rounded the base. After he touched home plate, he was greeted by a hug from his 14-year-old son, Trey, who was in uniform watching from the dugout.
Fans gave Griffey a standing ovation, and he appeared from the dugout for a curtain call.
It was Griffeys first homer since he hit No. 599 on May 31 vs. the Braves.
Sixth on the all-time list of home run leaders, Griffey should finish the season fifth after he passes Sammy Sosa. Sosa is next up at 609 homers.
The top four on the list are Barry Bonds (762 homers), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Willie Mays (660).
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A wonderful run um actually a walk:
So on Sunday I took part in the Great Strides Walk with my girlfriend. All the cash goes to fight Cystic Fibrosis and of course find a cure.
It was amazing. There were hundreds (around 200) of people there and the Calgary Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raised close to $130,000 buckaroos. We kicked Edmontons aaaaaa butt!
The only snag was that it was raining.
Melissa (my girlfriend who suffers from CF) and I wanted to do a couple of rounds on the one-kilometre path but rain and CF just dont mix well. So the walk pretty much ended after the first go around the path. Either way it was a bunch of fun and it was good to see so many people helping fight against CF.
Melissa and I ended up raising over $4000.
It was a tremendous experience for both of us. I have never taken part in a walk/run and it feels good to do it for someone you love, not to mention with someone you love.
Where in the world is Kevin Taft??:
So, like the political loser that I am, I have been watching the Legislature when I get home from work. It hasnt been tough to notice the absence of the Leader of the Official Opposition.
Liberal Kevin Taft hasnt been sitting in Edmonton with his fellow MLAs, who are still battling it out on the floor against the PCs. So where did Taft go? At first I thought there may be some personal issues, or he was kidnapped, or possibly he just took a vacation. Well it seems the latter is correct.
According to an article in the Edmonton Journal, Taft is in Greece. No he didnt quit the Liberal Party to become an actor in musical theatre, he is taking a trip to the country in Europe.
It seems odd that he would duck out in the middle of the session. As Graham Thomson ponders, is he thinking about his future as the leader of the Liberals? Apparently he is set to announce his career plan in June and that could mean a leadership race in Alberta. While Taft has been lounging on a beach (we can only assume hes relaxing) the PCs havent been doing too bad with a number of well supported initiatives.
As the article explains, the only rumoured MLA interested in the spot is Dave Taylor. He has laughed at those suggestionsspecifically on Breakfast Television and made reference to my report a couple of months back. But lets not forget David Swann. The good doctor has been talking funny and sending out peculiar e-mails recently about change in the opposition and a rejuvination. Could he also be eyeing the Liberal prize? Like Taylor, he denies itbut hes missing the chuckle.
So would an ousting of the current leader and a race for a new one be a good thing for the Liberals. I think so, it makes perfect sense (and dont take this as a shot to Kevin TaftI am saying nothing about his ability to run the party). The Liberals desperately need to rejuvinate support for their party (as Dr. Swann says) and if you claim youre new with the same line upre setting yourself up to be knocked down, unless you have a brilliant strategy..which of course would have been useful before the election. An actual leadership race would keep the party in the news and renew interest (even if only a little). People will want to know who the new leader is going to be and after that they may want to know what the new direction will be for the party. People may keep paying attention and support can grow. Heck, Taft was able to do it in 2004 to get a reasonable seat count, why not in 2012?
Whatever, Im not a political strategist or a political scientist so I could be way off the mark. But at least it makes sense to me. What do you think.
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I'm sitting here watching Czech Republic v Turkey right now (I love PVRs)...what a crazy game!!! Into extra time now. This game is just showing the importance of taking your chances when they come...Czech Republic had multiple chances to put this game away, then gave up 2 goals in short order. THE KEEPER JUST GOT A RED CARD!!! Milan Baros just got cautioned without even playing! This game is crazy - I'll finish watching, then post my team performance summaries. I'll put Group A's third-round performance into my discussions. Be excited.
Alright - here we go.
GROUP A
Portugal - Brilliant football against the Czechs - stunning stuff. Expect good stuff from them in the Quarter-finals! Christiano Ronaldo is finally starting to live up to his pedigree (in my eyes), playing unselfishly, staying on his feet (mostly), and running over opposition defenses. Against the Swiss, well, 8 new players in the lineup as they'd already qualified, there was no chemistry and it showed. Goalless first half followed up by some downright terrible defensive work. I have high expectations for this side in the latter stages though, as long as they keep their 'first-string' together.
Switzerland - They underachieved in this tournament like nobody's business. They played so well, given the terrible conditions, against the Turks. None of the goals came by any skill, and they lost in stoppage time thanks to a deflection off Muller. Against the Portuguese, they showed real stuff. Good for them to get a win in front of home fans, and raise some concerns for the Portuguese going into the next round. Like I say, they played well, and I look forward to watching them in future tournaments - with Alexander Frei fit they could turn a few heads.
Czech Republic - This is a team that needs to look at their offense. They play one man up alone, but he gets very little support from his five midfielders. It showed against Portugal, and it certainly showed against Turkey this afternoon! Lots of chances wasted and not taken due to a distinct lack of Czech kits up front, leading to their dismissal from the tournament. Obvious point for World Cup and qualifiers - concentration on offense is key. The Czech Republic carries a lot of offensive firepower, but they didn't use it this tournament and paid the price. Playing two strikers in the future wouldn't be such a bad idea, especially if Rosicky is out of the line-up.
Turkey - Two last minute wins saw the undeserving Turks through to the new round. They've played some awful stuff, pressure ending without a shot, miserable defense, and a lot of referee-crowding. Only positive point to them going through - their keeper is suspended for the next match and will be run over by whoever they meet in the first round of quarter-finals (probably Croatia). Looking forward to that.
GROUP B
Germany - Uh oh. Well, that wasn't the football I was describing for you last week. The Germans, who looked absolutely unstoppable, couldn't find their rhythm in this match. Their passes were slow and inaccurate, their runs weren't read by each other, it was a team performance entirely lacking in chemistry. They'll be hoping to use the Austria match as a confidence-booster for their likely trip to the quarterfinals (that said - the Swiss beat the Portuguese...who knows? Maybe the Austrians will play spoiler! That would seriously fuck up my EURO pool though.)
Croatia - Lovely stuff. What more can you say? The team that was, for all intents and purposes, held by the Austrians, created more problems for the Germans than a 3-front war (I expect to get in some trouble for that comment). Perennial dark-horse indeed - their match with Poland should be a lot of fun to watch.
Poland - Meh. Maybe they should have won, but their goal was offside and Austria's penalty shouldn't have happened, so a 1-1 draw is better than goalless. That said, this is a team showing no conviction, no effort, and no heart. Maybe they'll step it up against Croatia, now that they're staring elimination in the face, but if they hope to beat the Croats they're going to have to find a new set of legs than those they showed against Austria.
Austria - Too bad Austria's been knocked out, they impressed me. I'd expect their World Ranking to rise quite a bit after this tournament. They, like the Swiss, played great football, stifled opposition attacks and created more chances than can be counted, just no finish. Who knows, maybe we'll see them qualify on merit for future tournaments? Here's hoping!
GROUP C
Netherlands - Don't you love it when I'm right. I know, I know, it happens too much. Actually, most of my predictions for this round got absolutely shat on, but my big prediction is holding firm. Total Football is proving too much for anyone to handle, and I'm loving the Oranje. France was absolutely baffled, they could barely leave their own half. The defense certainly improved since the Italy match, and the offense was flying all game. It was nice to see van Persie back in action. They just beat the World Cup finalists by an aggregate of 7-1. Bring it on, the Dutch are here.
France - Le oops. Sorry, my grammar was bad there: l'oops. France had Henry in the lineup, but still couldn't find any offense. This team is in big trouble now, scoring a grand total of one goal in the past 2 matches. Of course, that one goal was returned almost immediately by the Dutch. Coupet (the French keeper) needs to take serious stock of his play against the Dutch, and pull a rabbit out of his beret against Italy to keep French hopes alive - it seems to be coming down to him.
Italy - Here was another missed prediction. Not only did they not win, but were it not for an extremely lucky kick-save by Buffon on a late penalty - the Romanians would have found victory. They tried bringing more offensive midfielders on, but couldn't find goal. And it will likely cost them. I don't know why di Natale wasn't played for the Romania match, he and Toni played wonderfully well together, and Del Piero is far more effective as a 60th minute substitute than he is a starter - he injects pace, skill and spirit when the team is tired, but he's not entirely spectacular for 90 minutes. I have absolutely no suggestions for their match against France...I hope they're not buggered but it's certainly looking that way.
Romania - They almost played the same way they did against France, but this time they created blazing offense too. It threw the Italians for a loop, and made the match very interesting to watch. Best part is - the Romanians now have more points than both France and Italy. A spoiler qualification? Who knows. This group's second spot is completely up in the air - Tuesday is going to be a wild day.
GROUP D
Spain - Impressive performance by the Spanish against a formidable opponent in the Swedes. They need to be sharper on the counter-attack, as Puyol, again, was bearing the brunt of the Spanish defensive duties. Offensively, this team is obviously very gifted, there's not much room for improvement there, but defensively the Spaniards will need to sharpen up if they hope to push on in the knock-out rounds.
Sweden - Zlatan has arrived on the international stage - good news for Sweden. They need him at his best this tournament, and he needs to take care of his knee in order to see the Swedes advance. Larsson was finally beginning to show his age against the Spanish, but he still managed to play 84 minutes of decent-to-good football. There's very little wrong with this side at the moment, if not a little slow at times, they're playing exciting stuff, reading eachother's moves very well, they just got outclassed by the Spaniards on the day.
Russia - Finally, Russia shows it's stuff. Although, being pitted against the Spanish in your first match will always make it difficult to find a groove. The 1-0 scoreline is flattering for the Greeks, they were mostly outplayed by the Russians, they were solid defensively and got back to basics in the attack. Qualification for the knock-out stage will be decided in the next match against Sweden, who are also playing well, and it will be quite the show to end the round-robin stage.
Greece - Bye. The former (accidental) champions showed some offensive merit against the Russians, but continued to play they're rubbish "sit-back-and-wait" crap, and paid for it. Good riddance to bad rubbish, enjoy the rest of your summer.
Well, there's round 2 (and some of 3). I don't have my predictions with me at the moment (they're at work), so I'll put them up tomorrow morning before the matches to ensure some degree of "really I'm not lying!".
Results thus far for my predictions (I'm almost afraid to post this):
Round 1: 6-2
Round 2: 3-5
Round 3 (thus far): 0-2
Edit - My predictions for Round 3
Group A
Switzerland v Portugal - Portugal win
Turkey v Czech Republic - Czech Republic win
Group B
Austria v Germany - Germany win
Poland v Croatia - Croatia win
Group C
Netherlands v Romania - Netherlands win
France v Italy - (I regret this given how they've been playing) Italy win
Group D
Greece v Spain - Spain win
Russia v Sweden - draw
Detailed match predictions can be found at Andrew's blog, Sporting Madness
Mike's done a small piece on Spain's chances, and about diving, at View from the Woods - a small amount of scrolling is required.
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