Moments after C.J. Wilson and Matt Moore look to throw their names in the ring of pitching elite, we'll be treated to the kings of the American League: "Two premier pitchers on a big stage, it doesn't get any better than that." - Jim Leyland, Tigers Manager.
Justin Verlander throws a hundred-miles per hour with pinpoint control. His multiple no-hitters are a testament to his poise under pressure. In a news conference yesterday, Verlander lamented the four walks he gave up at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day. Four walks is a big deal to Justin Verlander, he's been itching to correct them since April. When your personal standard is that high and your performance record is that good and you're headed into a playoff battle at Yankee Stadium against the best lineup on the planet and you're anchoring a team with a legitimate shot at the World Series... I don't even know how to finish that thought. Let's just sit back and let it breathe.
C.C. Sabathia is also quite good, and had Justin Verlander never been born it's entirely possible C.C. would win 2011 Cy Young award. With all due respect to Sabathia, Game One is Verlander's to win if he can find that extra gear. It's in there somewhere, he brought it to Toronto back in May. But New York City on the eve of October is a very different place.
This evening at approximately 5:07 p.m. C.J. Wilson takes the mound for the Texas Rangers in his most compelling post-season showcase. The playoff implications are huge, but Wilson’s entire career could be altered tonight. If he dominates, his impending free-agent contract will be massive. If he falters, the deal will be big, but without the kind of dollars ‘aces’ get paid.* Last season the Rangers had Cliff Lee to guide them into November, this year the reigns are in the hands of C.J. Wilson as he tries to elevate himself into elite company.
If not for the roller-coaster ride the Rays finished their season with, David Price would be starting tonight. Instead, we’ll see super-prospect Matt Moore because the Rays wouldn’t be the Rays without producing some compelling drama in the post-season. Moore is a beast. Period. His minor league stats were mind-boggling enough to earn him the title of “Best Pitcher Outside the Majors” and his brief September call-up has done everything to back that up. He looked good playing for a scrappy underdog, but that was last week. Let’s see how he fares in the ALDS pressure cooker.
Can Wilson rise to the occaision? Is Moore the phenom he’s been projected to be? Keep your eyes on the mound, two of the most intriguing plot points in baseball are about to unfold.
* Jays Perspective: Earlier this week Anthopoulos admitted to needing a front-end starter and Wilson has to be near the top of their list. If he can mow down Tampa’s offence tonight, the GMs will start swarming.
Four days ago Ozzie Guillen was traded from the White Sox to the Florida Marlins. This might strike you as unusual because Ozzie Guillen stopped playing professional baseball eleven years ago. It also might strike you as unusual because the Florida Marlins are not a team known for making splashy trades, nearly every notable trade the team has been involved with has seen buzz-worthy talent headed in the other direction.
But there’s more to this story than an enigmatic manager leaving Chicago in exchange for Osvaldo Martinez and a minor league pitcher.
Guillen brings a lot to the table in Florida. His understanding of the game is strong enough to win Championships. His passion and fire become the public façade behind which his teams operate. Ozzie is a lightning rod for publicity, and a voice who’s quotes and one-liners are destined for headlines. A lot will be made of his strong connection with the Latin community in Miami, but the truth is Ozzie Guillen could arrive in any baseball city and rile up the fanbase. Will he win on the field? That’s impossible to say. But style and substance are a valuable combination, and that’s exactly what Guillen brought to the White Sox.
As everyone and their banana salesman knows, on September 22nd during the shoot-out in an exhibition game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings in London, ON, someone threw a banana on the ice as Philly forward Wayne Simmonds was about to shoot. Simmonds is black and the fruit-flinging was reminiscent of too many such incidents that have occured over the years in some less enlightened corners of European soccer.
It was widely condemned and police eventually found a suspect, 26-year old London local Chris Moorhouse. His picture was plastered across the media, leaving most to wonder A) how he could be such an idiot, and B) thanks to the power of Google, how he ever expected to be employed again.
Then late yesterday, Moorhouse's lawyer came out with a statement saying Moorhouse had NO IDEA throwing a banana at a black player might just be sliiiiightly construed as racist. Lawyer Faisal Joseph said Moorhouse owned up to throwing the banana but it totally didn't mean it like THAT. "He was horrified when he saw the implications a day later as to how it had come out, and he said to me, 'if I had an apple or an orange, I would have thrown that out onto the ice. I did not realize the significance.'" Moorhouse's sole intention was to prevent Simmonds from scoring against his favourite hockey team, Joseph said. The only thing missing was the some-of-my-closest-friends-are excuse.
An apple or an orange? Why would anyone in their right mind bring any kind of fruit to a hockey game? I like a healthy snack as much as the next guy but come on. What's next, dental floss? And throwing fruit -- any fruit -- to stop a shoot-out goal? Either Moorhouse is a lying racist or just someone so simple they should have to wear a helmet when brushing their teeth. Tough call.
The Los Angeles Kings will rule the West in 2011-12.
Even though their best defenceman, Drew Doughty, remains unsigned, things are looking up in la la Land. The Kings made a significant upgrade in the off-season when they acquired centre Mike Richards from Philadelphia. The former captain of the Flyers gives the Kings an outstanding No. 2 centre to complement Anze Kopitar. Richards brings speed, leadership and tremendous intensity to a team that has lacked fire in recent seasons.
The addition of Richards is one of the main reasons I'm picking the Kings to represent the West in the Stanley Cup Final, where they'll bow to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Richards’ former linemate in Philly, Simon Gagne, joins him in Los Angeles this season. Together, they’ll upgrade the Kings’ speed at forward. Suddenly, L.A, is less of a plodding team, and as a result more equipped to keep up with Vancouver, San Jose and Detroit, three very quick hockey clubs.
Jonathan Quick has given the Kings solid goaltending the past two seasons. The emergence of Jonathan Bernier will allow coach Terry Murray to rest Quick more often. In fact, there are rumblings in L.A. that Bernier is ready to relieve Quick of the No. 1 job. Only time will tell.
Here’s how we see the 2011-12 regular season shaking down in the Western Conference.
1. Vancouver Canucks – Vancouver is the best team in the weakest division in hockey. Last season, they were the only team from the lowly Northwest Division to make the playoffs. Look for the Canucks to once again beat up on the weaklings of the conference and finish first in the West during the regular season.
2. San Jose Sharks – GM Doug Wilson once again made the Sharks over in the summer. Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi were traded to Minnesota. Winger Martin Havlat was brought in to give the Sharks more jam on the Wing. Blueliner Brent Burns, meanwhile, should thrive in a more offensive system.
3. St. Louis Blues – The Blues have been on the verge of breaking through and becoming one of the elite teams in the West for the past few years. This is the year it happens. Veterans Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner and Scott Nichol will add experience to a young lineup. Look for Alex Pietrangelo to join the Norris Trophy conversation.
4. Los Angeles Kings – The uncertainty surrounding Doughty may prevent the Kings from taking the Pacific Division, but this is a team that will peak come playoff time.
5. Detroit Red Wings – With the retirement of Brian Rafalski, the Wings were forced to look outside the organization to patch the hole in their blueline. Ian White and Mike Commodore are charged with replacing Rafalski. It’s no easy task, but the Wings play a team-oriented puck-possession style that will ensure they remain competitive.
6. Chicago Blackhawks – They barely made the playoffs last season after winning the Stanley Cup the year before. However, the Hawks made a point of adding some leadership in the off-season in the form of Andrew Brunette, Sean O’Donnell and Jamal Mayers. They’ll make the playoffs, but I just don’t see them finishing near the top.
“The most riveting episode in sports history.” That’s what ESPN called what played out in the fourth-set tie-breaker waged between unkempt tennis legends Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe in their historic 1980 gentlemen’s singles final at Wimbledon.
On Saturday night at Toronto’s Commerce Court, performance artists (and spry tennis players) Tibi Tibi Neuspiel and Geoffrey Pugen will replay that tie-breaking thriller every hour as part of the city’s all-night art blast Nuit Blanche—wooden rackets, headbands, naked emotion and all. Amazingly, these guys, who bare a resemblance to the court heroes of yore, will attempt to recreate each point of the tie-break stroke by stroke. (Fun side note: Neuspiel’s previous experiments include weighing precisely 200 pounds in the year 2000 at age 20.)
Not exciting enough for you? The duo has also hyped up their performance with some brilliant promo clips (hit the jump). The best? A determined beachside McEnroe practising his serve by launching fuzzy balls into the lake.
Every seven days, our NFL columnist puts his reputation on (the) line and selects the winner of three marquee matchups. 2011 record: 6-3
Houston Texans (2-1) > Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
The usually tough-lined Steelers can’t seem to run the ball this year (a dismal 85.7 yards per game), and yet their big names (Troy Polomalu returns a fumble! Ben Roethlisberger orchestrates a last-minute, game-winning drive!) came through in the clutch last week to beat the Colts. Houston is running the ball well (138 yards per game) and scoring often (30 points a game), but RB Arian Foster will be testing a battered hamstring on Sunday. Tough one to call. So I’m riding with the home team. And the game takes place in Houston.
Dallas Cowboys (2-1) > Detroit Lions (3-0)
The 3-0 Lions—yes, three and frickin’ oh!—journey to Dallas, hoping to feast on a battered Cowboys squad. But just as Tony Romo and Co. overcame ailments on Monday against the Redskins and in Week 2 at San Francisco, they should prevent Detroit from going an improbable 4-0. Even though Dallas won on Monday night, their offense was embarrassed by miscued snaps. Rest assured, the home team will rehearse enough this week to win out in a pass-happy tilt.
Baltimore Ravens (2-1) > New York Jets (2-1)
The Sunday-nighter could well be a precursor to an AFC playoff match-up for these teams. But, as is so often the case with Jets coach Rex Ryan, this one’s personal. A longtime coordinator of the Ravens’ D before moving the New York, Ryan endeared himself to the Ravens’ core cluster of players, and even took a couple Baltimore ballers with him (Bart Scott, Derrick Mason)—which will make beating Rex all the sweeter. Expect the Ravens’ rushing tandem of Ray Rice and Ricky Williams to wear down a Jets’ D that ranks only 25th against the run.
You know the world has changed when the selection of Tiger Woods to the U.S. Presidents Cup team is more controversial than team captain Fred Couples’ decision to fill out his roster with FedEx Cup winner Bill Haas.
Yesterday Couples announced what would appear obvious to most – that he’d forgo picking Brandt Snedeker and instead hope that Haas’ hand would still be hot when the Presidents Cup is played in Australia in mid-November.
“Bill for the last two years has played phenomenal golf, winning three times and losing a couple of times in a playoff,” said Couples, acknowledging that Snedeker and PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley were potential choices as well. “But Bill, knowing he had to win last week to be on the team, he went out and did it and he’s my second pick.”
Couples’ second choice is actually less likely to be second-guessed than his first captain’s pick, former World No. 1 Woods who has slumped to No. 50 amid a fumbling swing change, injuries and personal turmoil. Couples, who proclaimed he’s “very excited” about having Woods on the team, says the golfer is ready to go.
“We’ve had a few conversations since then and a lot of texts, and I’m just thrilled that Tiger is healthy and ready to play and wants to be on the team,” Couples explained.
Good to see Woods has returned to the world of texting, since he almost singlehandedly managed to give the world a better understanding of the potential of using a cell phone for your private correspondence following his sex scandal in 2009. It is also positive to hear Woods is healthy physically, though one has to wonder about his ailing game as much as his injured knee and ankle.
“I’m playing as much as I possibly can, something that I hadn’t not done all summer, because I hadn’t been cleared to do it,” Woods said. “Now I have the clearance to do that. My training sessions are great, and my strength has come back. My explosiveness has come back through my training, and now just trying to get my feels back, and it feels great.”
While the decision to take Woods, who was ranked 29th in the team standings, seems perplexing at first, it might make more sense when you consider his history in the Presidents Cup. Unlike the Ryder Cup where he has been dismal on several instances, Woods is 18-11-1 in the Presidents Cup, one of the more dominant players in the event’s history.
However, that version of Woods, who last appeared at the Presidents Cup before his 2009 sex scandal became public, seems like a distant memory when contrasted with the current game he’s sporting. When we last saw him at the PGA Championship, Woods was erratic, impatient and sometimes downright awful. Woods’ game appeared as rusty as a wedge left out in the rain at the Bridgestone Invitational and golf’s final major and he’ll only have two outings – including an appearance at the Australian Open prior to the Presidents Cup – to round himself into shape. He continues to work on his swing overhaul with Canadian coach Sean Foley, and it’ll be easier to determine his progress after he plays in next week’s Frys.com Open, his first event in more than a month.
Woods isn’t the only question mark for the Americans. The team’s No. 2 player, Steve Stricker has a herniated disc in his back and is uncertain whether he can play. If he can’t he’ll be replaced on the team by Bradley, Couples acknowledged, but that means Woods would be missing his foil in the consistent Stricker, with whom he’s been paired in recent years.
In contrast to Couples’ decisions, Greg Norman’s choices seemed almost obvious. Norman skipped over former British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen, who has not excelled since taking his first major last year as well as the injured Tim Clark, to take two Australians – Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby. Baddeley had a solid finish to the FedEx Cup and Allenby has won at Royal Melbourne, where the tournament will be held.
Norman’s team is anchored by Australians who will have home field advantage and the crowd’s support. Jason Day and former U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy will join Baddeley and Allenby on the team.
Despite that, and even with the questions raised by Woods’ inclusion, the U.S. squad looks like it could potentially dominate the affair. Led by young guns Nick Watney, Dustin Johnson, and Webb Simpson, the U.S. team has a group of solid individual performers, with backing by veterans like Matt Kuchar, David Toms and Phil Mickelson. In contrast, the International team has some lesser-known players, like Kyung-tae Kim, who despite having some strong finishes on the PGA Tour has not had a great deal of experience playing on the world stage. He’s backed up by veterans South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. But Els is having his worst year on the PGA Tour, and Goosen has struggled with injuries.
Norman acknowledged his team was “extremely exciting,” but also admits that they recognize their historic shortcomings.
“They know they have lost the Presidents Cup every year except one,” he said.
Even with the questions raised by Couples’ inclusion of Woods, there’s no reason to believe the fortunes of the International team will change in November.
When watching MMA events, a lot of the small details often go un-noticed or un-explained because of all the excitement surrounding the fights. As a result of this, we caught up with Elliott Bayev, 2009 Pan American silver medalist and head jiu-jitsu coach at OpenMat MMA so he could give us his expert grappling analysis of the fights that ended in submission at UFC 135.
Lets take a look at how Nate Diaz finished Takanori Gomi, and Jon Jones defended his title against Rampage Jackson at UFC 135.
Nate Diaz’s arm bar submission of Takanori Gomi
Nate Diaz’s jiu-jitsu abilities were on display as he effortlessly transitioned from position to position while Gomi attempted to escape. Diaz continuously worked for control until he managed to locked in the arm bar and get the tap.
Jon Jones’ rear naked choke of Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson
Quinton Jackson was completely out-matched by Jon Jones at UFC 135 both standing up and on the ground. As soon as the fight did hit the mat Jones made short work of Rampage, sinking in the choke and defending his belt with a submission victory.
If these displays of technique inspire you to get involved with martial arts and you live in the Toronto area, give Elliott and the fine people at OpenMat MMA a call, or visit www.OpenMat.ca (647-269-8466)
Leave it to superstar Jay-Z to knock his own basketball club off of the marquee for the Barclays Center opening in September of 2012. The Brooklyn-born impresario informed the gathered media on Monday that it will be he, and not the “Brooklyn” Nets (the NBA team he has an ownership stake in), that will be the featured act on opening night at the newest NBA arena. In fact, he went on to say that it might even be a multi-night affair, with “maybe one, maybe two, maybe three” concerts from Jay-Z and what is likely to be a cavalcade of guest stars.
It looks like even in the home being built especially for them, the Nets still can’t get top billing.
“Opening this arena will mean more to me than anywhere else,” Jay-Z said. “This is where I’m from, I’ll always be Brooklyn.”
What remains to be seen, of course, is if the Nets can be as Brooklyn as their co-owner. Mired in a years-long quest for respectability (even back-to-back Finals appearances couldn’t guarantee a sell-out at home for the club), the Nets now move in the backyard of the legendary New York Knicks, a team on a significant upswing after acquiring All-Stars Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony last season.
The Nets countered those moves by acquiring Deron Williams last winter, but Williams is free to walk away from New Jersey after this season (if there is a season) and that would make for a very embarrassing opening night at Barclays if that happens. That is, unless the hippest of hipsters that populate the borough have a soft spot for overpaid castoffs like Travis Outlaw, Jordan Farmar or Johan Petro...no? Well then they’d better hope they can convince Williams to re-sign before moving day.
At least Jay-Z can take solace in the fact that he’ll be able to pack the house, even if his side-business cannot. Besides, if the Nets continue to ritually miss the Playoffs like they have for the last couple of years, it just opens up more dates for Hova to fill the seats in their stead.
August 2011
