Weird, Whacked & Weepy Wednesday

Hey Peeps and anyone else checking in. A special "Hey" goes out to Hazel Mae.

For those of you who haven't been here before, Wednesday entries take a look back at some of the weird, whacked and downright silly stories and events from the world of sports over the last week or so. Here's hoping you get a chuckle out or two

Today was weepy Wednesday for Canadian hockey fans - the Russians beat Canada 2 - 0 today. The finalists in the 2002 Olympic Tournament both failed to make the medal round - Canada and the U.S. both eliminated before the medal round; understandable and expected when it came to the U.S., shocking and disappointing for Team Canada.

The talk up here was all about second guessing half of the selections for Team Canada - minutes after the loss, the calls started pouring in - every armchair GM up here would have picked Spezza, Staal and Crosby - leaving Bertuzzi, Draper and Bryan McCabe (Leaf haters) off the team. I don't think it would have made a difference - this team wasn't going to get it done...the loss to the Swiss was much more telling that people were willing to acknowledge. A lot of people up here kept chirping about how the qualifying round meant nothing - that it was all about the playdowns - ah huh, tell that to the Swedes...they are laughing their way into the medal round. I don't know if Hazel watched the game - but she would have been disappointed.

I know most of you don't care about European Soccer - but another weepy result from Europe today. Chelsea (aka Portuguese National Team North) went down 2 - 1 in London to Barcelona today...I haven't watched the game yet, but Chelsea had a man sent off and gave Barcelona the tying goal on an own goal charged against John Terry. My man Mourinho is really going to have to come up with some magic to get Chelsea out of this mess - I wonder if I could call on a little bit of Hazel Karma for my men in London...Hazel?

THE AUSTRIAN ONION
The news from Torino is disturbing - a former Austrian ski coach who fled Italian authorities after they raided the Austrian members' rooms after allegations of doping arose. Walter Mayer was remanded into psychiatric care yesterday; word out of Torino today is that Mayer's car crash was actually an attempted suicide - though Mayer maintains his innocence. This story keeps getting more and more whacked - click the link and check out related stories - its like a damn onion. Two Austrian skiers have come forward to admit they "may have used illegal methods" - guess who they were talking to?

File this one under whacked....though it is heading towards pathetic.

Manny being Manny should get a lot of play tonight - but what can we say that isn't being said by Mike Adams on Planet Mikey? The sound clips of Hazel are a nice touch though. We'll talk baseball tomorrow.

NFL

RICKY'S NO DOPE
Ricky Williams violated the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy and now faces a 1 year suspension, and quite possibly the end of his NFL career - with him still owing the Dolphins $8.6 million. Williams is going to appeal the test - talk is this violation wasn't for marijuana...if you are Dolphins fan, don't you take comfort from that? The funny thing about this story - Williams suspension came just as the Dolphins were reportedly finalizing a trade with the Broncos.

File this one under whacked - Williams is going to appeal his FOURTH suspension...cuz this time he really didn't do anything wrong...I wonder if he called Jose Theodore...never mind.


BUS IN THE BOOTH
Jerome Bettis will be joining NBC as a studio analyst for Sunday Night games. I don't get this one - Bettis has never struck me as being particularly well spoken, or even that insightful about the game...but NBC hires him. It will be a season of Jerome talking about how he deserved that damn Super Bore ring. Can you hear the collective groan from the great state of Washington? They must be thrilled with this announcement.

File this one under silly - Jerome Bettis in the booth?

Baseball tomorrow - what else? Manny being Manny.

Before ending tonight - a good day for Canada at the Olympics (Men's hockey aside). A good reason to catch up on the Hazies.

Gold Medal
Speed Skater Cindy Klassen won her fourth medal today in the 1500 m

Cross Country Skier Chandra Crawford won in the ski sprint.


Silver Medal
Kristina Groves won the silver in the same race Klassen won the gold.

Women Short Track Speed Skating - 3000m Relay

On behalf of Hazel Mae...and all Canadians - we thank you!


I'm outta here...have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world.

Song of the day on Hazelspeeps - for Ricky Williams and what he didn't do.

Smoke Baby - Hawksley Workman

Peesth Out!