Martin Brodeur deported to New Jersey

After a disastrous showing resulted in Canada losing in Olympic hockey to the United States on its home ice, Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur has reportedly been deported from his home nation and sent to the inhospitable American penal territory called "New Jersey". There the disgraced goalie will finish out his playing career for a team called the "Devils" in the hellscape of Newark. The goalie has taken his fate in stride. "It's not as bad as you'd think," he said. "There are some decent parts, some good diners."

Bud Selig and MLB did something right?

As much as I bang on Bud Selig and MLB, I have to give credit where credit is due:

The LA Dodgers were trying, and mandating that their players donate to the club's charity (as part of the player's contract). Actually, 109 players on 20 different teams have been mandated to give to charities. You may think, well, they are rich, this is a good thing. Well, that isn't the principle. The clubs are forcing what money goes to what charity.

Businesses shouldn't declare which charities your money goes to. Certain charities touch each of us differently and we all feel compelled to give to ones that mean something to us. You can't force me where I have to give my charitable dollar. My workplace cannot all of a sudden tell me I HAVE to start donating to PETA out of my salary. You can't tell me where to eat or where to spend my discretionary dollar. It's just not fair.

Once you "require" me to do something it becomes a burden. That actually goes against the SPIRIT of "charity". Charities are GIFTS, the minute it is forced it becomes a tax issue, among other things. Plus, it benefits the employer and not the employee. The employer looks great corporately for "giving" so much money to charity. If the employee wants to, he has to go above and beyond what he has already been forced to give.

MLB is now saying that teams cannot mandate this. So, owners like Mr. McCourt of the Dodgers can no longer force players like Manny Ramirez to give 1 million dollars to the Dodgers charity (which the Dodgers forced Manny to do). So, props to Bud Selig and MLB who have actually made a fair decision that made sense. Contracts are now being reworked and reworded so no player is forced to give money to a certain charity. Now players can decline contracts based on this before signing with a new team. Thanks Bud for actually making a good decision!

Tragedy at the Vancouver Olympics

Georgian luge slider Nodar Kumaritashvili died after a high-speed crash during the final training run for the men’s singles event at the Winter Olympics. It was the first death of an athlete at the Olympics in 18 years.

Kumaritashvili, 21, was thrown off his sled and collided with an unpadded metal support beam outside the track today. In video replays of the crash, Kumaritashvili appeared to hit his head on the pole and lay motionless after contact. 

In the luge event, athletes lie on their back on a sled and race down an icy mountain chute. They wear helmets but virtually no other padding.

The Whistler luge course includes 16 turns and a 498-foot drop, the longest of any track in the world. It already had prompted safety concerns from competitors during training runs.“I think they are pushing it a little too much,” Australia’s Hannah Campbell-Pegg told the Associated Press last night after she nearly lost control in training. “To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.” 

Austria’s Manuel Pfister reached a speed of 154 kilometers per hour (95 miles an hour) yesterday, the fastest run ever recorded by a luger at Whistler’s sliding center, where bobsled and skeleton races also are run.

The first luge event, the men’s singles preliminary run, is scheduled for tomorrow, the first full day of the 21st Winter Olympics.

The Georgia team may withdraw from the Vancouver Winter Olympics, the head of the country's delegation told Reuters.  Here is a good Maclean's article about the whole thing:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/02/12/a-dark-cloud-over-vanocs-olympic-sized-party 

Super Bowl Winners & Losers

We all know the score. But who really won and lost this week?

WINNERS

1. Tracy Porter -- The Saints defensive back intercepted Brett Favre at the end of the NFC Championship Game and he intercepted Peyton Manning at the end of the Super Bowl. Why is this man intent on breaking the hearts of our most revered quarterbacking heroes?

2. CBS cameramen -- Vegas set the over/under on camera shots of Archie Manning during the game at 4.5. The over/under on camera shots of Kim Kardashian was 2.5. Finally tally? One shot of Mr. Manning, zero of Kim Kardashian. It's obvious the CBS crew put money on the under. They should be prosecuted for conspiracy and sent to jail.

3. Google -- Best ad of the Super Bowl? It's at least up there.

4. College Basketball -- Football is over. Now the casual sports fan can start paying more attention to college hoops. Hey, is defending national champion North Carolina ranked No. 1 this year again? Really? They lost by 21? To Maryland? And they've lost to NINE other schools?! Including the College of Charleston?!?! Okay, now you're just making stuff up.

LOSERS

1. my friend Chris -- He doesn't follow football. He came to my Super Bowl party. I came up with the idea for a drinking game that required him to take a shot every time the name "Pierre" was mentioned during the broadcast. A few Pierre Thomas runs and Pierre Garcon catches later, he was in bad shape. He did not make it to work today.

2. old people -- Colts kicker Matt Stover, the oldest player to ever play in a Super Bowl at age 42, missed a crucial field goal. And then there was The Who. Yikes. 

3. Peyton Manning -- Somehow everyone has forgotten he is a top 5 QB of all time...

4. San Diego Chargers -- Former Chargers draft pick Eli Manning has a Super Bowl title. Former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees has a Super Bowl title. The road to the Super Bowl truly goes through San Diego.

Why the New England Patriots “dynasty” is over

They:

1.    Haven't won a Super Bowl in 5 years (will be going on 6).

2.    No longer strike fear in other teams.

3.    Are aging.

4.    Can't illegally tape the other team anymore.

5.    Are splitting games with the Jets and Dolphins, where they used to

       sweep them.

6.    Didn’t sign any big name free agents this past offseason for the first

       time since 2000.

7.    Lost a lot of defensive veterans who were elite players.

8.    The Raiders are finally declining Patriots trade offers after the Pats

       ripped off the Raiders 12 times in the last several years.  Seriously.

       So, that well is running dry now.

9.    Plus, Bringing in players from the Raiders, signing older over-the-hill

       players and letting go of proven guys because you don’t want to

       pay them have come back to hurt the Patriots.

10.  They can't "outscore" opponents anymore and win (see the Colts

       game this past season as a great example - going for it on 4th from

       your own 28 because you're too afraid to play defense, hahaha). 

11.  They went 4-5 the rest of the season after that Colts game.

12.  Actually pulled Tom Brady from a game this season (Saints game).

       Funny though, how in 2007 Brady would still be in the game even

       though the Pats would be up 30/40 points with 5 minutes left.

13.  In many games the team just looked average, and as each game

       passes, Randy Moss looks more and more like a shadow of his

       former self.

14.  They have no running game to speak of, and although it showed

       up for a few weeks this season, they have not made any effort to

       establish it on a consistent basis.

15.  With Randy Moss’s inconsistent play, Wes Welker’s status

       uncertain, an average defense, and inconsistent offensive line

       play, the Patriots are on the decline.

16.  Brady (3 interceptions, 3 sacks, one costly fumble, fewer than

       160 yards passing) in their only playoff game this season. They

       lost, at home, 33-14. This isn't the Patriots dynasty team folks.

       This is a new team, declining.

17.  Make moves to let go good defensive players over the years

       (Asante Samuel, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel, etc.), have

       a weaker offensive line, a non-existent rushing attack in today’s

       game, and don’t forget the departure of great coordinators

       (Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Josh McDaniels, etc.) in the

       past five years.

18.  Belichick's recent draft picks - Kevin O'connell - 3rd round 2008,

       Chad Jackson - 2nd round 2006, Laurence Maroney - 1st round

       2006.  That's right, his guys, not Scott Pioli's.  And when one of

       Belichick’s picks ends up being great (Asante Samuel - 4th round,

       2003) they end up letting that player go!

19.  Will be restricted financially in 2010 when there will be no salary

       cap.  Wealthy teams will get the advantage (see Major League

       Baseball as a current example).

20.  Will be hurt (financial, personnel - players getting older, etc.) by

       the looming 2011 lockout.

More Tim Tebow commercial outrage!

Here is a blog that I've commented on, had a response to, and commented back:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sportsprose/2010/01/tim_tebow_super_bowl_ad_contro.html

I like the writer's presentation and there have been some good comments.

JV