Canada's Loss to Mexico was a Reality Check

(photo courtesy of windsorstar.com)

Canada came into the men's Olympic qualifying match-up against Mexico as the heavy underdogs. That much can be said for the majority of games in Canadian soccer history; Canada isn't exactly the most prolific of nations. This year's Olympic hopefuls were making a real case for themselves though after last weekend's upset over the United States. Canada came out swinging in the opening minutes, briefly maintaining pressure on the Mexican goalkeeper. That faded away quickly, like so many hopes in the world of Canadian soccer, as Mexico began controlling the pace from then on out. Canada was scrappy, but simply outclassed by the Mexican squad. The score could have been much worse, as Mexico hit several posts and crossbars. It was fun to ride the week-long bandwagon, but Canada still has miles to go before they're a legitimate international threat.

Canada Stumbles Into Concacaf Cinderella Run

(photo courtesy of nationalpost.com)

Canada’s national under-23 soccer team is in an awkwardly opportunistic position. After a massive upset against the United States over the weekend, the Canucks found themselves unsuspectingly in the running to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Nobody saw this coming, least of all the Canadians. All they needed to advance to the next round of their Cinderella run was a draw against Cuba Monday night. With 88 minutes down they were in position to actually win, but allowed an atrocious goal in the dying minutes, and escaped by the skin of their collective teeth. Much is made about a bungled chance at a better matchup, but Canada is outmatched by several teams in CONCACAF, so matchups be damned. If this team is going to catch lightning in a bottle, it’ll be with a little grit and a lot of luck.

Manchester Showdown

(photo courtesy dailymail.co.uk)

Manchester City isn't letting United off the hook in the chase for the EPL title. City remain just one point behind the Reds in the standings, after pulling out a huge comeback win over Chelsea. The tables have turned since they last met in a 6-1 trouncing of Manchester United on their home turf. United are now 7-0-1 in their last 8, and with Tottenham dropping three straight, the table's set for a Manchester vs Manchester showdown with only 10 games left. Despite uncertainty on both rosters, both have been able to battle through adversity, making the match-up all the more intriguing. Man U still have to balance Europa League dates along with EPL matches, and with Carlos Tevez now back in blue, this could be the year they finally slay Goliath and write "City" on the Premier League trophy.

*Manning's Denver Decision Could Kill Tebow Mania

Peyton Manning vs. Tim Tebow: When one soap opera meets another. 

(photo courtesy of businessinsider.com via Getty Images)

The most talked about free agent sweepstakes in the history of professional football seems to have a winner. The same city that lived the legend of Tebow mania will swiftly turn the page this off-season and usher in another new era. There’s this guy, he goes by the name of Peyton Manning, I hear he can play a little bit of football, and it looks like he’s just jacked Tim Tebow for his job in Denver.  

When it became evident that Peyton's career-long tenure in Indianapolis was over, the media instantly flooded our brain space with speculation about where Peyton would wind up. He had meetings in Arizona and Miami, with local cameramen covering every angle. He also met officials in Tennessee where he played college ball, and San Francisco where they were bringing in all the attractive supporting cast membersthey could to lure the four-time league MVP. Ultimately it was John Elway’s Broncos that won out, according to reports close to the negotiations. 

(photo courtesy of nflpassers.com)

Obviously any team in the league would be happy to have a guy of Peyton Manning's calibre on board. What makes this signing curious is the fact that the Broncos already have arguably the most popular player in football taking snaps for them. The debate about Tim Tebow's legitimacy as a starting NFL quarterback has raged since the day he was drafted, and on this issue it seems like even his biggest supporters have their doubts. Elway and the Broncos are now reportedly exploring trade scenarios for Tebow, basically throwing in the towel on what was a shaky, but exciting and compelling team dynamic.

Manning presents a massive opportunity for the Broncos to take a strong step towards contention. The potential for high rewards isn't debatable, however this deal is probably a higher risk than most people care to say. Manning is 36 years old and coming off of the first major injury of his career, an injury that had critics questioning whether or not he would ever play football again. Tebow is far from a safe bet, but to ship out a young star, regardless if that stardom is duly warranted, for a rapidly aging one could be their undoing. Manning can't have that much football left in him, and skills have a tendency to decline in the latter years of a player's career.

Tebow won't be going to Miami, where he played in college and is a living football deity, as reports have David Garrard now signing there. There is speculation linking him to Jacksonville however, another Florida-based franchise in which he could thrive and grow into a quarterback more befitting of his status. That could be a major pie in the face of the Broncos in about 2-3 years time when Peyton is retired comfortably and Jacksonville is entrenched in renewed Tebow mania. 

(photo courtesy of inquisitr.com)

 There is no real correct stance to take on this if you’re John Elway. There couldn’t have been many teams out there that weren’t interested, on one level or another, in Peyton Manning. He’s a surefire first-ballot hall of fame quarterback. It’s just not that often that we see general managers in any sport moving out youth in favor of age. It goes against typical team-building mantras.

There is one scenario in which this becomes a grand slam (winning the Manning sweepstakes is already a home run): If the Broncos can convince Tim Tebow to stay on board as a backup. Tebow is an athletic specimen whose career has been plagued with criticisms about his throwing arm and play-reading abilities. Peyton Manning is in many respects the anti-Tebow; a true quarterback’s quarterback who thrives on his instincts and mastery of the intangibles of the game. Could there ever be a more perfect mentor? If there was a quarterback in the world that could help Tebow become the dominant force he was in college, wouldn't it be Peyton Manning? 

Alas, football is also a game of egos, and even a humble man of god like Tim Tebow is probably feeling a bit slighted by the signing. If Tebow can turn the other cheek however, he and Manning could prove to a be a formidable 1-2 punch behind centre, and that might be the only scenario that sees Tim Tebow become the star that the American public wants him to be.

Williams Wills Bills Into Respectibility

(photo courtesy of buffalonews.com)

                    

You can now call Mario Williams simply "Mario Bills" if you're not into the whole brevity thing. You can also call him rich to the tune of $96M, $50M of which guaranteed. For a team with one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL last season, this could be well worth it. The Bills had only 29 sacks last season, Williams averages over 8.5 sacks a year, his career best being 14. That new threat will force offenses to adjust, opening things up for players like Marcell Dareus. This guy will have a ripple effect on Buffalo's entire defensive presence. Buffalo pulled out all the stops, and landed a top free agent, one that addresses a major need. This sends a strong message to fans and free agents alike: Buffalo means business, so pay attention.

Cowboy Kyle Orton is a Good Fit

(Photo courtesy of mysanantonio.com)

Kyle Orton is not Jon Kitna, and while that’s enough for many Cowboys fans, this is not an insignificant move. Tony Romo puts up some of the best regular season stats in the NFL, but he’s also had his share of injury trouble. Romo’s absence from the lineup has had a severe effect on the Cowboys’ record in recent years. With the departure of Laurent Robinson and Martellus Bennett, the Cowboys need some responsible ball management should Romo be out. Orton’s career passer rating of 79.4 (only two points better than Kitna’s) doesn’t exactly scream “responsibility”, but Orton is younger, and still has the goods to start on some NFL teams. Free agency still leaves alot to be determined, but as of right now “America’s Team” has shored up a position that’s been dogging them for a long time.

*Manchester United: The Dog's Bollocks

    


A right bloody triumph 'appened at Old Trafford this weekend, it did. Manchester United locked up their record breaking 19th Premier League title wif a draw versus a poxy bunch in the Blackburn Rovers. Wayne Rooney secured the draw wif a picture perfect strike from the penalty spot and turned the city of Manchester absolutely bonkers.


    The heavy lifting was done a week earlier when Man U faced off in a massive fixture in London against a rival Chelsea squad who were, at the time, nipping at the heels of the Reds. By securing the three points Manchester became authors of their own destiny, making themselves nearly untouchable wif only a pair of matches left.


    Dimitar Berbatov has been brilliant throughout, leading the league in scoring, Nani showed a new level of maturity, Edwin Van Der Sar continued to defy father time having another superb season at age 40, and somehow it all got eclipsed by a man who wasn't even on the pitch.


    The old codger calling the shots for the Red Devils, Sir Alex Ferguson is the business. When he took the reins back in 1986 he made a specific personal goal of "knocking Liverpool off of their fucking perch", which is to say he intended to usurp Liverpool as the most-league-championships-of-all-time record holder. At the time it was a tall order, but here we are 25 years later and he's finally done it. So let the retirement speculation begin then eh? (Stop that, stop that.)


    Fergie has been a model of consistency during his tenure in Manchester and will leave behind a legacy of championship glory. It would be hard to believe he wouldn't step down after such a spectacular season, and there's a perfect capper on a silver platter when Man U faces Barcelona in the UEFA Champion's League finals (a rematch of the 2009 finals in which Barca emerged victors). A chance to avenge the loss, against arguably the best team in the world, for one of football's most prestigious club trophies. Not bloody shabby.


    However it's Sir Alex's pride I think will bring 'im back next year. He's got a group right now that's as mentally tough as any in the world. They aren't the exquisite United sides of ages past, where sublime talent reigns supreme, but rather a group of committed, hard-working battlers that never say die. Not to suggest this group dudn't 'ave it's share of talented stars. Surely Berbatov, Rooney and the like can be placed in that class, but there ain't a George Best, or Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch, is there? Ballon D'Or players they have not.


    That intangible ability to inspire players to greatness is what makes Sir Alex such a magnificent manager. His players believe in 'im. When Wayne Rooney publicly questioned Manchester's upper management, and wanted out, saying United lacked "the continued ability to attract the top players in the world" it was Ferguson who eventually brought the young superstar back down to earth. Wayne Rooney is a spoiled brat, and Sir Alex Ferguson knows exactly how to handle spoiled brats.


    As the contract negotiations and media battle raged on, Sir Alex carried on inside a conference room, as Rooney and his reps listened in awkward intrigue, and delivered a foggy metaphor about cows, with the inference being "the grass is always greener" or something of the like. Everybody scratched their noggins and wondered silently about whether the man had either lost it, or if this rambling was in fact a profound insight bore of experience. It turns out it was the latter, as Rooney's name was inked onto a fresh five year extension twenty four hours later.


    That is the perfect illustration of the way Sir Alex Ferguson carries himself. He commands the respect of his players, in return he delivers results. He's a force of nature and he imbues that force into those privileged enough to play under him. That's why Man U are sitting atop the Premiership. That's why they're competing in the Champion's League finals. And that's why they've knocked Liverpool off of their fucking perch and have more league titles than any side in history. (Stop that, stop that)

 That's why this man is the best coach in the history of the game.  

*Concussions Starting To Make My Head Hurt

    The NBA and NHL playoffs are upon us, the MLB season is just starting to pick up steam, the UFC is setting it's biggest stage in my hometown, and all I seem to hear on TV and radio are "headshots", "concussions", and "suspensions". This is getting fucking ridiculous. Correction, it's been ridiculous for some time now, I've just had enough of it.


    It seems like there are daily segments on my favorite TV and radio stations discussing the questionable hits of the previous night, and whether or not the league handled them properly. Should we not be enjoying and discussing the amazing action that is the first round of the playoffs? The Knicks and Celtics, the Bruins and Habs, not Colin fucking Campbell and his credibility as a disciplinarian. 


    The NHL (and the NFL, if and when they return) needs to cut the shit and redefine their stance on the issue of headshots. It is starting to become a serious detriment to their overall product. San Jose manufactured an epic comeback the other night to win in overtime, and what am I listening to on the radio? A James Cybulski interview with Colin Campbell discussing headshots. An interview in which Colie more or less lost his shit and called out Cybulski and writer Dave Feschuk on the ridiculousness of the subject.


    Do I believe that headshots should be ignored or swept under the rug? Absolutely not, they're a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately because it's been going on far too long. My issue is that it has taken the league this long to just put their foot down and say "we're in charge, and we're not going to deal with this shabby bullshit". Make clear and definitive rules about the supplementary discipline involved in dealing with these incidents, and implement new some rule changes to help curb the amount of incidents occurring. Players should not have to keep dropping like flies in the meantime while they continue to waffle over what to do.


    The people who really suffer in this are the fans (that's not counting the people who actually endure this horrific brain trauma for our enjoyment). What I mean by that is that these things should not be clouding up the sports atmosphere at a time when there is so much legitimate, juicy, engrossing sports stories that deserve our attention. With anywhere from six to ten hockey / basketball playoff games going on every single night, there is no shortage of narratives, epic finishes, and upsets that should be painting brilliant tapestries of the wonder of meaningful games. Instead we're locked in this perpetual debate of "whatever should we do". Cut the shit, that's what. Just cut the shit. 


    They say any publicity is good publicity, but when there is an overwhelming amount of actual good publicity you should be trying to embrace that and cut down on the stupid shit that makes you look stupid. It's unnecessary, and it's a slap in the face to fans who just want to enjoy the games they love. It's bad enough we have to hear about NFL court proceedings, and about Phoenix relocating to anywhere but Phoenix, we shouldn't have to be constantly reminded of the incompetence of the people running the show.


    

*The Great Canadian Hockey Monopoly

I love hockey. I revel in the Canadiana it represents. I love the in-depth coverage, I love the rabidness of the reportage we have here north of the border, and I love the extra lengths our sportscasters go to give it to us. I also hate it. I am a beard sporting, lumberjack jacket wearing, beer swilling Canadian stereotype, but I'm also a sports fan. I love football, baseball, basketball, MMA, and even footy (I love footy so much I actually call it footy), and for people like me there are not alot of options on the big three Canadian sports networks.


On a given night in the Canadian sports broadcasting landscape an average of 50% of the coverage we see involves NHL hockey. This leaves the other 50% to cover every other event under the sun, and most of these stories get grossly under reported. The popular argument for any network executive working at either TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, or The Score would be that they are simply giving the public what they want. This begs the question: at what point do they stop giving us what we want and start telling us what we want?


Example: The other night Dwight Howard put up 26 points and 23 rebounds against the Mavericks, one of the top 3 teams in the entire NBA. It was Howard's third straight game of 20+ rebounds. This amazing stat was not mentioned once in Sportsnet's recap of the game, they instead chose to take a "Hedo Turkoglu" narrative in their coverage. For the record Turkoglu put up an underwhelming 9 points in the loss to the Mavs, but because he is a half season removed from a messy breakup with the Toronto Raptors, the brilliant minds at Sportsnet chose to tell us what aspects of the game we were interested in. And here I thought objectivity was the golden rule in Sports broadcasting. (I won't even get into the droning, emotionless personalities that Sportsnet chooses to prop up in front of their telepromters day in and day out. That's another gripe for another day.)


TSN on the other hand is Canada's oldest, and most respected Sports network. They are also one of the most biased. Every day Sportscentre leads off with ten to fifteen minutes of NHL coverage, complete with post-game scrums from each game, and on-site reporters for each of Canada's franchises. TSN boasts an armada of hockey insiders and analysts, but have nobody who specializes in baseball. No NFL insider. No NBA segment. They outsource this coverage to their ESPN cohorts. Not a bad idea when you have no one on staff who knows anything about these sports, but if your slogan is "Canada's Sports Leader" shouldn't you have at least one person designated to cover each of these? At least The Score and Sportsnet each have some random British guy who talks about the EPL so we can at we can trust in his sophisticated accent, even if he is only covering one of the many top-end soccer leagues in the world. The last time I checked Canada's national sport was Lacrosse. I don't remember the last NLL game I saw covered on any of the big three networks, including "Canada's Sports Leader". 

They don't even cover "Hockey" per se, they cover the NHL, because the NHL are the ones who have the lucrative broacasting contract with TSN and Sportsnet. I don't see any OHL highlights on a daily basis, no WHL or QMJHL (although I do get extensive coverage of the World Junior Championship, because it is conveniently broadcast on TSN). There is no mention of the European elite leagues in Germany, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republc, or Switzerland etc. The Kontinental Hockey League is the next biggest hockey league in the world and I can honestly say I have never once seen a single KHL highlight on Canadian television. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the KHL doesn't seem to get along with the NHL? Wouldn't wanna burn that Bettman bridge I guess. Hell, they don't even cover NCAA hockey.


I know nothing about NCAA sports and I place the blame squarely on the major sports networks in my home country for indoctrinating this love of hockey that lives inside me, and the indifference to everything else that comes with it. I didn't know who Cam Newton was until he won the Heisman. I read it in a footnote of a newspaper. That's what the NCAA is in Canadian media: a footnote.  

The Score does a fantastic job of trying to bring the NCAA to the forefront of the Canadian media, but they have neither the resources nor the clout to make a big enough impact on the national sporting psyche. They are also responsible for being one of the first to offer comprehensive coverage of Mixed Martial Arts, and of European soccer, in particular Italian Serie A. They offer coverage of CIS football, something neither of the two heavyweight stations can say. Grassroots stimulation of the homegrown product. They even have the basics down: their ticker doesn't go anywhere during commercials. Little things like that actually do matter.


Despite all of these things, I've still got a deep passion for the sport of Hockey. I love it with all my being, and I embrace the Canadian stereotype that it makes me. What I would appreciate though is having the option to watch something else from time to time, and having that something get the same attention as Hockey. There is alot more to the sporting landscape than just puck, and maybe if we gave our kids the option to fall in love with something different, our other national teams might not suck so badly, so consistently, while our hockey team perennially spanks the planet. Just a thought.

*Michael Vick: Role Model

Over my first three blog entries I have not shied away from using the term "Douche" (make that 4, the streak is still alive!). There are many a douche in the world of sport. In a world laden with massive paychecks with egos to match, who can really blame these babied primadonna's for thinking their lives and opinions hold so much weight? There are womanizers (Ben Roethlisburger, Tiger Woods), gun toting gangsters (Gilbert Arenas, Plaxico Burress), drug abusers (Michael Irvin, Theo Fleury, 20 years of Major League Baseball) and even a few murderers (OJ Simpson, Rae Carruth) in the mix. Amid all of these horrid creatures one man seems to be standing tall as a beacon of hope and redemption:

Michael Vick.

Too soon? Fuck it.

After spending close to two years in a federal penitentiary for bankrolling and participating in an underground dog fighting ring, a pastime that saw Vick murder unfit dogs in a multitude of creative and disgusting ways, Michael Vick has torn down the road to redemption at an unprecedented pace. The mere mention of his name only a year or two ago meant all types of nasty reactions. There was a time when animal rights groups were lighting torches and tying lynch ropes in the wee hours of the morning to bring him to swift and decisive justice. 'This sick fuck must pay for his crimes against humanity!'. Now, in his second season since returning to the NFL, Michael Vick is the most popular player in the league. He currently holds a head and shoulders lead in pro-bowl fan voting. Even opposing players are approaching him on the field for autographs.

'What has the world come to?' one might think, but upon closer investigation we may actually discover that Vick has genuinely undergone a personal transformation. That, or he has one hell of a P.R. rep pulling the strings like some sort of diabolical puppet master. It's probably a bit of both, but either way it is a story that deserves all the attention it has received. Vick is saying and doing all the right things and is a poster boy for the 'everybody deserves a second chance' attitude that left-leaning North America fights for, and almost unanimously seems to resent any time it actually works out. How dare this heathen dog-killing bastard learn from his mistakes and become a better person for it?! The gall!

Vick's personal growth off the field has been mirrored by a comparable level of growth on it. He is currently enjoying a career season in which he has morphed from a one-dimensional running quarterback into one of the league's finest passers. Anyone arguing the contrary need only reference the fact that it took more than half a season before Vick threw a single interception. That's no random-sports-fact to sneeze at. His accolades are not only personal either, the Eagles are tops in the NFC East division, solidifying that position after a monumental comeback win against the Giants this past weekend. Wins and losses are the stat that truly measure a player's worth to his team, and Michael Vick has proven his worth with as much class and selflessness as the Mannings, Brees', and Bradys of the world. Michael Vick is the real deal.

Couple Vick's amazing on-field success with his (strategically well-publicized) charitable work and you have the recipe for a role model. Yeah, I said it. Micheal Vick is a role model, somebody we should emulate and aspire to be like (particularly Tiger, Big Ben, and other disgraced athletes of their ilk). Who would have ever thought we would see the day?

Vick's post-game thoughts after engineering an amazing fourth quarter comeback versus the Giants: "I have to thank God for the opportunity"...

WOW, AND he's a christian? Somebody get this guy a campaign manager; "MICHAEL VICK FOR PRESIDENT". At the pace his image has been changing I wouldn't rule it out. Vick currently has a higher approval rating than Barrack Obama anyways. The only thing that could possibly screw it up for him would be saying something stupid like "I'd love to own a dog". ...Wait, what? "It's an important part of my rehabilitation". Yeah, and an important part of Lindsay Lohan's rehabilitation comes with a mirror, a razorblade, and a late-night visit from a local rapper named "Sir Pack Slingington". I guess he really screwed the pooch on that one.

Too soon? Fuck it.

 I guess some things in the world of sports never change, even when other things do. No matter how good a guy Vick has become, he will always be a star athlete, which means he will always have this misguided idea that his shit doesn't stink. Slow it down, Mike. Don't push your luck.

*Brett Favre is America

    If Brett Favre were born 15 years later he'd be the guy in the bar with the popped collar talking to an uninterested female about the new cold-air intake in his F-150 (stay with me, this is going to make sense). With the end of Favre's monolithic 297 consecutive games started streak we saw the culmination of what has truly become a circus of self-indulgence. It began with his first 'retirement' several seasons ago and has continued right up until this past weekend, when after sitting out and watching his team get trounced, he proceeded to spend an entire press conference talking about himself. This begs the question: at what point did Brett Favre stop caring about his team? Did he leave his heart in Green Bay? Or did he simply begin buying into his own legend? 

    Between his constant waffling over retirement, his cell-phone-penis-picture scandal, or his insistence on constantly trotting himself out to start games all season despite being in no condition to help his team win, Favre has, in my eyes, tarnished his cherished legacy. 

    This draws an obscure parallel; Brett Favre has become a living metaphor for the United States of America. Bear with me here...The United States began a war for all the wrong reasons, and marched into the Middle East several years ago with no definite plan for victory, but by god, they're American and they're going to kick ass. Why? Freedom, that's why. Their real motive? Oil and global economic control. 

Freedom = another shot at the Super Bowl. 
Oil = the padding of an already unattainably large record and the stroking of an apparently out of control ego.

    In both instances things did not turn out exactly as planned. When George Bush landed in a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier with "Highway to the Danger zone" playing in his helmet and proclaimed to the world "Mission Accomplished" it somewhat mirrored the emotion we were supposed to feel the first time Favre proclaimed he'd be back for one more season. In both instances the novelty wore off a little more every time they tried to sell us a polished turd, and the grimness of reality stunk that much worse.

    Granted, Favre did have arguably the best season of his career last year, despite coming up short in the conference championship, and the war on (and/or of) terror has not seen a comparable feel-good moment, but Favre's antics have become the epitome of American self-absorbency. "Hah', I'm Brett Favre, ah' wear Wrangler jeans, and I'm the greatest of awl tahme. Ah' been buryin' mah' team awl yur, but hoo-ie, mah record sure is sumthin', ain't it?". That quote is, for the record, less than verbatim, but he did answer questions in the post-game press conference with an aloof sense of self-accomplishment that was borderline laughable. Hey Brett! Guess what? Your team is basically eliminated from playoff contention, care to comment? I guess not, considering they may have had a much stronger record by this point had they not placed all their hope in a broken down 41 year old.

    Don't get me wrong. Brad Childress allowed this to happen with unprecedented malaise, and the Vikes have been battling the injury bug all season long, so the poor record is not entirely Favre's fault. My problem is the lack of accountability he has chosen to exhibit while playing in the one position in all of pro sports that demands the absolute highest level of it. I am not going to dispute that Brett Favre could quite possibly be the best of all time, but when you take a close look at the current state of affairs in Minnesota, he just seems like kind of a douche.