Weird and Wacked Wednesdays Part 2

Evenin' peeps, Hazel Mae and anyone else who isn't one of the aforementioned - but is checking in or has happened to come by this page.

Update: Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians...with a special shout out to one Canadian in particular...one living in New England right now (three guesses as to who).

Before I start tonight...Bell is still giving some of us the business - it would seem that "We are NOT all connected" - not with any consistency this week. So if this entry ends abruptly (like yesterday) - you'll know that I'll be on the horn asking Bell - What the Foulke happened? Speaking of which, tonight's entry will be about asking Hazel "what the Foulke happened?" (with the usual qualifier - if she's peeking)

Update: This Wednesday update is extremely late - thank you very much Bell. Server being down two nights in a row...great service you have there. So some of the news will be really out of date, some of it will have had subsequent news updates, but most of it should still be or interest or amusement.

His Namesake Wouldn't Approve
Everyone must have seen Kenny Rogers lose it this week. Rogers snapped on Wednesday afternoon, shoving a cameraman and throwing his camera to the ground. When I first saw what happened, I couldn't believe it - Rogers has never struck me as a hothead or a meathead...but I was thinking "suspend his ass for a while and fine him too - you can't be doing that to someone who is doing their job". Surprise surprise, there is talk the cameraman is going to sue Rogers - I can't say that I blame him.

I wonder what Mr. Fred Rogers would think of Kenny right now, it obviously wasn't a beautiful day in Kenny's neighbourhood. I bet Hazel would have gotten up and kicked Kenny's ass.

Update: MLB announced today that Rogers was suspended for 20 games and fined an undisclosed amount of cash (speculation is $50,000) - while the lesson was expensive, in the grand scheme of things I think Rogers got off much too easily. The Rangers brass haven't exactly lept to Rogers defence - opting instead to show reserved support.

The "attack" / altercation was a clear cut case of assault - he could have really messed the guy's neck up when he pushed the camera back; I think a 40 game suspension (maybe 50) and a fine in the range of $250,000 would have been more appropriate. I'd like to hear Hazel's take on this one, given that she is in the media - big surprise huh...the whole damn blog is about what Hazel's take would be...

Was Vlad "Putin" One Over On Kraft?
Big news this week when Vladimir Putin met with a group of Americans, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Mr. Kraft allowed Mr. Putin to see his Super Bowl Championship ring; Putin tried the ring on, admired it, and then put it in his pocket and walked away. The media in attendance speculated that Kraft didn't expect Putin to pocket the ring - Kraft subsequently said that he had given the ring to Putin as a sign of respect and admiration for the Russian people. I have a very hard time believing he would give away his world championship Super Bowl ring.

How many of us think that Putin took the ring, figuring that Kraft probably wouldn't ask for it to be returned (thus avoiding an international incident/embarrassment). Kraft was then left to do the only classy thing - that is to say that he gave the ring to Putin. I bet he never shows his ring to anyone again. Betcha Hazel could get it back for him...bet she could convince Vlad to give it back.

NFL
The NFL was making news this week - most of it was bad...the kind of news that Tagliabue hates.

Lavar Arrington (Washington Redskins) and Julian Peterson (San Francisco 49ers) hosted a party as a mansion they rented in Maryland - during an altercation at the party a security guard was shot...he was in serious, but stable condition in hospital. No arrests have been made. And to think, people thought that Michael Irvin and some of the Dallas Cowboys of the early to mid 90's were bad asses...jayzus.

Another member of the 'Skins - safety Sean Taylor is currently facing 3 years in prison if convicted on charges of pointing a gun during a dispute over an ATV. Two thoughts on this one:

1. why in the hell would you point a gun? over a freaking ATV? is this what they mean by "roid rage"? or is the guy just severely unbalanced or crazy?
   
2. doubtful that they will send him away that long - football hero and all...

Mike Tice, coach of the Minnesota Vikings, was fined $100,000 for scalping his Super Bowl tickets last year. He "scalped" the tickets - he scalped them...he doesn't make enough money that he has to scalp them. Mike wasn't even smart enough to try to cover it up with a dumb story about giving the money to charity or something.

You had to know Terrell Owens couldn't keep this big mouth shut for more than a month. After the Eagles confirmed that they were exploring the possibility of trading Owens to the Raiders for Jerry Porter and another player/draft pick or two - Owens comes out and says he can co-exist with Randy Moss, "as long as he gets the numbers of balls he deserves." Oh ya...this is going to be rich - Moss and Owens.

Boxing
Because this entry is about the weird and silly in the world of sports - boxing makes it. Two ridculous stories from the world of boxing.

1. Kendall Gill, NBA Guard, beat the crap out of a tomato can in his professional debut - Gill says he wants to fight again, the guys on Pardon The Interruption think he's crazy and that he would get killed by any half-decent club fighter. To this I say...after watching him pounding his chest after the 1st round KO, follow your dream Kendall - you will one day be the tomato can you pounded on.
   
   
2. Thomas Hearns, yes that Thomas Hearns, wants to make a comeback - he wants to be a champion again. For those of you that lost count, he's 46. If I'm a promoter...I'm putting together a Thomas Hearns/Kendall Gill fight and see what happens...win - win if you ask me.
   

NBA
The Toronto Raptors GM Rob Babcock did nothing to endear himself to Canadian basketball fans at this week's NBA draft. Babcock used the number 7 overall pick to draft UConn's Charlie Villanueva - Raptors fans saw it as a wasted pick, given that Chris Bosh is there and the cornerstone of the franchise. This was seen as another Babcock blunder, the same guy who traded Vince Carter to the Nets for next to nothing.

The Raptors are a mess, and I don't think Charlie is the man to pull them out...having said that...he also isn't going to make things worse. The Raptors problems start with the front office and go right down the management ranks. Babcock really messed up when he didn't use a late round pick to choose Juan Mendes of Niagara (a Canadian kid). Mendes refused the Raptors invitation to play on their summer league team. I say good for Juan...the Raptors are not the team you want to play for right now.

Is Jody Vance Checking In?
I have no idea of whether or not Jody Vance of Sportsnet has found this (we have all heard she had it in for our friend Hazel) - but after watching her fantasy baseball spot on Sportsnet earlier this week, I had to wonder. Why you ask? (even if you aren't asking...I'm going to tell ya).

Jody's astute baseball mind (emphasis on the first syllable "ass") recommends dumping Morgan Ensberg (3rd baseman for the Astros). Jody calls it "selling high", and picked Ensberg as a guy that should be sold high because he is in the midst of a career year and has never been known as a power guy. Ok...let me get this straight - career year and trade him. Huh? It made absolutely no sense (not to mention the fact he has hit 4 or 5 HRs and had 12+ RBI since). The light went off - do you think Jody knows that Morgan is part of Hazel's Heroes? I think I've mentioned it before. Why else would she suggest trading Ensberg? There is no reason to trade a guy in the middle of a career year.

Jody, if you are peeking and you are wondering...Hazel's team is in second place and we got Prior and Beckett back this week. Jody, stop hating on Hazel and move on.

I'm outta here for tonight - I spent the better part of Canada Day working outside again. I'm becoming quite the freakin expert with interlock - ripped up the walkway out front and did it in interlock. I'd work cheap for Hazel - hahaha.

Night peeps, night Hazel...here's hoping you made your way back up here for the big Canada Day celebrations...if not, enjoy watching the Jays at Fenway.

Today's song of the day at Hazelspeeps at yahoo - what else? The National Anthem

O Canada - traditional.

Peesth out