Another Whacked Wednesday Update

Hey peeps and anyone else checking in - thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read these random thoughts and rants. If this is your first time here...Wednesdays recap the weird, whacked and silly events and happenings in the world of sports from the past week.

NHL
Not sure how interested readers are in the NHL - but you have to sit back and scratch your head and wonder what the St. Louis Blues were thinking when they announced that they were retaining the services of Doug Weight, Keith Tkachuk, and will tender an offer to Chris Pronger... who are they going to get to play for them? I don't know how they are going to trade Pronger with that contract. I heard their GM talking about how this exercise wasn't "fantasy hockey" - that they were real dollars...that you couldn't just buy everyone out - I get that...I really do. But keeping Tkachuk? Geez...consensus is that he's not worth the cash and is one of the more over-rated players in the league. Oh well...someone is worse off than the Leafs (let's not touch on the Owen Nolan saga)...at least according to the Ottawa media who are predicting doom and gloom for Hazel and all other Leaf fans. All this from a group of so called "experts" that are expecting miracles from Hasek - haha, "vee'll see about dat."

Oh ya...and John Muckler was on record today saying that for Hasek - it's not about the money...its about pride. Yes John...it's not about the money...tell that to the fans in Detroit, they might want to disagree with you there.

So what would Hazel think about this year's Leafs? Who would she sign?

MLB
No joke here - I saw the replay of what happened to Matt Clement...what an awful sight. I'm glad to hear that he is ok...and I just hope that this doesn't affect him when he comes back - I seem to remember hearing about this happening to a pitcher a while back...and he was never the same (he was gun shy and never got back to what he was, I just can't remember his name).

Ok...now for the stupid stuff. Red Sox fans must be laughing at the poor Baltimore Orioles. The O's have been ready to pull the trigger on a couple of trades...only for them to fall apart. I'm still trying to figure out how Nevin says "no, I don't want to go" and walks into the clubhouse...knowing that his ass was traded. I know he spoke about family issues...but if he is a professional, and has about two months left in the season (excluding playoffs) - shouldn't he have went to Baltimore? I think the Padres are making him pay for it though...Nevin suited up as a catcher last night.

Poor ol' A.J. Burnett's name has been mentioned in a number of trades...to a number of different teams, but he's still pitching for the Marlins. I like A.J. - he's been cursed with injury problems...but I've liked him ever since I drafted him onto my roto team when he broke in with the Marlins (long gone now - but I think he would have been proud to be part of Hazel's heroes).
The Marlins are also trying to get rid of Mike Lowell...once thought to be an untouchable. I don't get it..the Marlins are trying to jettison a couple of quality guys (I guess having won a couple of World Series entitles you to tank it every few years).

Check out Jeff Merron's column on ESPN.com - its about the 10 most overpaid players in baseball - Phil Nevin and Sidney ("Aruba Aruba - Andalay Andalay") Ponson were on there. A couple of surprises too...not that they don't deserve to be on the list...it's that they made it on the list - notably Piazza. It's worth the five minutes it takes to go through it and ponder... The Chickenhawk must be smiling that no Blue Jays were considered for the list.

NFL
Seems like you can't be an NFL player if you aren't getting arrested...or being a malcontent. In the last few weeks...too many to list on the former...with respect to the latter

• Terrell isn't happy about having to report to Eagles;
  
  
• Javon Walker isn't happy about having to report to the Pack;
  
  
• Ray Lewis and Ed Reed aren't happy with their contracts;
  
  
• Travis Henry hasn't been a happy camper and the Titans are finding that out the hard way;
  

With all this turmoil in the NFL...who would have ever thought that my Dallas Cowboys would be seen as one of the solid franchises...staying away from bad headlines. Chalk it up to the Tuna.

Did you see Nick Saban? Saban went off on a Miami Dolphins rookie...reducing this behemouth of a kid to a blubbering mess - I felt bad for him...walking off crying - how is this kid going to make it in the NFL? Saban is trying to toughen him up - I would hire and elementary school teacher to teach the rookie the old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones...but Nick Saban's names will never hurt me." Memo to Saban...way to welcome a young player to training camp - try that on Ricky Williams.

Speaking of Ricky...did you catch his speech on "Freedom" and how he had come to realize what freedom really meant? I sat there in amazement watching him go on and on - when those close to him have said that for Ricky - its all about the money. I give him credit though...that was a knew angle to come from...Ricky should call up Dominik Hasek and sell him a copy of the speech...to Dominik - freedom is not being in a Czech jail. hahahahaha

SOCCER
More player movement in Europe - with a number of players heading to...or heading back to the English Premiership. Biggest surprise? Edgar Davids going to Tottenham.

Reports say that Inter Milan is in negotiations with Real Madrid to secure the transfer of Luis Figo. I'm mixed on this one...on one hand, I want to see him play top flight soccer - he's good enough and still has it. I'd love to see him playing with Adriano. On the other hand...not a big fan of Serie A - boring soccer...and I think this is a crappy way for Real to deal with a player that has done so much for their team. Still hating Real Madrid...Figo will have his day in 2006 - in Germany... when Hazel walks into work on a Sunday night to announce "Portugal, led by the old lion Luis Figo, has won the 2006 World Cup." I'm sticking to that one...it is going to happen.

I think that's about it for tonight. It's been a long day - if I've missed something...feel free to leave a comment/suggestion...and once again, thanks for stopping by. So I will end this entry in normal fashion... first by sending my regards to Ms. Hazel...and secondly:

The song of the day on Hazelspeeps at yahoo... for guys who are being retained...released...bought out...traded...not traded...transfered...not transfered...I give you

Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash

(I'm thinking that there should be a hazelspeeps greatest hits cd)

Peesth out.