Whacked Wednesday

Evenin' peeps, and anyone else checking in - from the semi-regulars to first timers - to of course Hazel Mae (if she's peeking in).

I don't even know where to start - but this week's Wednesday entry is really about "the whacked" in the world of sports...not too much of the weird, but definitely some of the silly. To start the entry off with a laugh - why not start with the NHL - I'm sure Hazel would get a good laugh out of this...hope you do too.

NHL
We have to start a Wednesday entry with a story about our old friend - Bob Clarke (can you sense the sarcasm?). In Sportsnet's Hockey Hearsay section Clarke is told the Philadelphia Daily News that if the Flyers can't come to an agreement with Robert Esche - the team is willing to go with an unproven Antero Niittymaki in goal (ya...Forsberg would love Clarke for signing him to a team that has an unproven goalie...can't you see it?). In speaking to the paper, Clarke was quoted as saying "I think a club can win without anybody. I don't think one person makes a club." I'll let you digest that for a second before you burst out laughing - Clarke must be prepping himself to take over for Yogi Berra in those AFLAC commercials they keep running on MLB games. Hazel...do you have that crazy duck screaming at you at NESN?

Mr. Bettman conveniently announced Todd Bertuzzi's reinstatement with a press release - THE SAME DAY that Gretzky announces he is going to coach the Coyotes. Nice work NHL, way to show that you guys are a major sport. You must be very proud of the events on Monday...Gretzky announces he's going to coach...Comcast is putting the NHL on the Outdoor Life Network (there's hope for another outdoor game in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium - hmmm maybe the Leafs can host a game a Dufferin park - where I used to play shinny when visiting T-Dot...insert laugh trak here), and you reinstate Bertuzzi. Outside of the NHLPA, is there anyone that thinks Bertuzzi has sat out long enough?

Some guy in Toronto put a pair of Maple Leafs season's tickets in the Platinum section up for auction on EBay...for get this...$250K. That's right, he's hoping to get TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND...with a minimum bid of a piddly $125K required. I mean, I'm a Leaf fan but...I bet Hazel could talk him down. Check it out here - give me strength

NEWS FLASH - Ottawa Senator fans and media are upset that Marion Hossa rejected the Senators' generous offer of $11.5M over 3 years - saying he wants Iginla like money. Prior to salary cap days, Ottawa fans and media regarded Hossa as a top 10 player in the league...now, he isn't worth more that $4M - and he should take less to play with Ottawa and win a cup for them (according to Glen Kulka and Gord Wilson of the Team 1200). Maybe Hossa saw yesterday's song of the day on Hazelspeeps and decided it wasn't worth a pay cut. hahaha

We will now take a short break while we head to the cabinet for a glass of Port. (insert musical interlude). Hmmm Port...Gooood


MLB
So Kenny Rogers was back tonight after serving 12 games of his 20 game suspension. An arbitrator ruled that due to Selig suspending Rogers and hearing/rejecting the appeal (what amounts to a technicality) he contravened the MLB collective agreement. So Rogers goes ballistic, not once..but twice...and gets twelve games. If he ever pulls that crap on Hazel and she doesn't kick his can...I'm organizing a "Peeps road trip to Arlington" - the Canadian contingent will fix his little red wagon. Welcome back Kenny...how did it feel getting your keester handed to you tonight in Boston? Welcome back pal.

A funny aside on the Rogers story...Bud Selig was angry about what happened. That's funny...some would say they are very angry about Bud's run as commissioner of MLB.

The incident involving a San Francisco broadcaster and the San Francisco Giants can't be ignored or swept under the rug. For those that haven't heard - where in the heck have you been? Mr. Larry Krueger was on record as saying that he couldn't stand to see "brain-dead Caribbean hitters swinging at slop" and went on to question what Alou was thinking. As you can well imagine, the crap hit the fan and Mr. Krueger was telling anyone who would listen that he wasn't a racist or a bigot and tried to apologize to Felipe Alou. Mr. Krueger's apology was issued via a press release and was rejected by Alou - rightly so I might add. Alou's point is that stuff like this can't just be glossed over with an apology. Mr. Krueger should be held accountable for what he said. From my own personal experience...this story is compelling for two reasons - one professional and one personal.

• from a professional point of view - in my experience in working on issues such as this - this case really falls under the "hierarchy of racism" - in other words it's more acceptable/pallatable to discriminate against one group vs. another. It has long been the view of people of hispanic descent that they are not afforded the same protection as people of African or Asian descent - whether it is true or not is irrelevant...if they perceive this to be reality then it is for them and must be addressed.
  
  
• from a personal point of view - I can't stand people who make stupid remarks like this and think an apology will suffice...quickly followed by the standard "I'm not a racist...some of my best friends are black/asian/hispanic or whatever. Not good enough - say what you mean...mean what you say. The easiest thing in the world to do is to be hateful or hurtful...spew your venom and then apologize for it. The damage was done. I'll shut up about this now. But Krueger shouldn't be allowed to get off so easily.
  
  

There was talk on Red Sox Nation that another player with even higher profile than Palmeiro had tested positive for a banned substance - and was currently undergoing a second test and maybe appeal (thought I don't know if you can appeal a pending charge). All in a whacked wednesday huh?

NFL
Big news in the NFL is that no one was arrested - not that we know of.

Terrell Owens was sent home by Andy Reid of the Eagles. I ask one question and only one question of Reid - "Why?" Why would you suspend a player that doesn't want to play on your team...why not keep him around...on the sidelines and out of drills (like putting him in the corner at school) and drive him nuts. Reid lets Owens off the hook on this one and isn't going to get anything for Terrell in a trade...and won't get much out of Terrell this season. Hazel and Gentelmen...Terrell has left the building.

Daunte Culpepper was given a lucrative contract extension by the Vikings...the reasoning being that Daunte was one of the top quarterbacks in the league and should be paid accordingly. Excuse me? I don't understand this one either. Culpepper is a good quarterback... a GOOD quarterback who hasn't won anything yet...not an NFC title even. Not a top quarterback - off the top of my head - not even a top 10. Daunte is a first half player who falls apart in the second part of each season. Daunte is not a player that makes his teammates better - that was Randy Moss (love him or hate him) Moss made Culpepper look a lot better than he was:

• by making amazing catches
• by drawing double/triple teams thus freeing up secondary receivers
• by being enough of a threat that teams didn't play eight in the box - freeing up a running game and taking heat off of Culpepper with fewer blitzes (not that that applies to Hazel's K.C Chiefs..their defence was just..ummm...well - hey, did you hear Drew Bledsoe is in Dallas?)

I'm not sure why Minnesota gave him a big raise...but this year will prove that Randy made Daunte look better than he was...and not the other way around.

SOCCER
Zinedine Zidane claims that a voice told him to come out of international retirement to play for France and lead them to a World Cup in Germany - for readers of this page, we know Zidane is crazy...not because he heard a voice...but because we all know Figo is going to lead Portugal to the World Cup and Hazel will broadcast the news to New England. *smile* I think this has a lot to do with Zidane being the forgotten man at Real, what with: Beckham signing a mega deal, Roberto Carlos being granted Spanish citizenship, Robinho signing with Real and of course...Zidane's biggest competion, Figo going to Inter. If you think that is crazy...having watched Zidane since he got to Real...there was always a competition when it came to Figo (the first galactico). Zidane hated Figo for some reason...and was one of the main reasons why Figo had lost prominence this past year (when by all accounts he was one of Real's best players). Zidane won the player of the year...but he did it by alienating many members of his team (on the pitch) - with Figo Real won hardware...with Zidane? you count them up...I'll give you three seconds...its all you'll need to count what Zidane led Real to. Please..no crap about France's World Cup and Euro trophies...(Brazil's Ronaldo gets sick before the final - and Thierry Henry was FIVE yards offside when he tied the game against Portugal). Zidane will always be obsessed with Figo (who came out of international retirement two months ago)...Figo will go on to help Adriano become the 2006 FIFA Player of the Year. You read it here first..and you'll hear Hazel announce it first..next year. Adriano wins (Ronaldinho and Steven Gerrard being runners up).

Trouble brewing in France. Chelsea (and my man Jose Mourinho) want to sign Ghana-born Michael Essien from Lyon. Lyon's President was asking for a ridiculous transfer fee when talks broke down. M. Aulas was quoted as saying "Michael is a good boy" and that he would do what he was told. Stay tuned...this one is gonna get ugly.

I'm sure there is more...but that's why I always invited readers to submit their stories. Time to say goodnight peeps...goodnight to Hazel (if she peeks after her last segment) and goodnight to you if you aren't one of the aforementioned. Thanks for taking the time to stop by, hope it was worth a chuckle or two.

The song of the day on Hazelspeeps in honour of the mysterious voice that spoke to Zidane...to the voice that tells Hossa that he's worth Iginla like money (which for the record is more than Naslund, Forsberg, and Sundin)...to the voice that reassures Larry Krueger that he isn't a racist or a bigot... I give you

Far Side of Crazy - Wall of Voodoo

or

Voices Inside My Head - The Police

(Both worth listening too - that goes for you too Hazel! )

Have a groovy one...Peesth out!