The Score

In Case You Missed Tarvaris Jackson Getting Choke Slammed...

Andrew Stoeten — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:35:50 GMT

Zetterberg Stick Stolen From Kid At Winter Classic

Andrew Stoeten — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:04:11 GMT

What he got was a hockey fan's dream.

As the Red Wings left the field, one of them, Henrik Zetterberg, made eye contact with the 14-year-old.

"He kind of winked," Plew said. "Then he gave me his stick."

No, that's not the beginning of some kind of twisted Detroit Red Wings fan fiction (sadly), it's part of an article from today's Chicago Tribune (which is apparently still in business-- who knew?) that tells the tale of young Kalan Plew and the asshole who stole his game-used Henrik Zetterberg stick during last week's Winter Classic.

A Detroit fan, Plew waited above the visiting dugout at Wrigley Field for the Wings players to come off the ice after the game, which, obviously, is where the Wings star handed him his stick.

Kalan was excitedly taking the stick out through the crowd, going to meet his dad near the front gate, when he was stopped by "a man dressed like a security guard". The man told him that he wasn't allowed to have the stick there without his parents around, but told him not to worry, and that he would take the stick to the customer relations office, where Kalan and his dad could pick it up.

Being as gullible as a particularly gullible fourteen-year-old, and obviously not a Chicagoan, Kalan decided to not to say something along the lines of, "Fuck you, ass face," but instead gave the stick to the man and rushed to the front gate so that he could then retrieve it. You'll never guess what happened next...

That's right, the stick wasn't there. A few tears, crushed spirits, and angry email to the newspaper later, and we've got ourselves a story!

Now... OK, it's not like the kid is dying or anything, so I can't advocate too much violence, plus I mean, he is fourteen, so he should probably be more concerned with girls getting their hands on his stick, but still, this was a pretty seriously fucking douchebaggy thing to do, and if anyone out there knows the fuckface who did it, please consider a giant kick to his balls before you insist that he do the right thing and give it back.

Court Surfing Sweet 16, Week 5

Scott Carefoot — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:36:48 GMT

Holly MacKenzie returns to the Sweet 16 power poll this week to mess with our heads by slipping the 11-23 Memphis Grizzlies into the bottom of our rankings. I'd say that this destroys the credibility of this weekly feature... but who would I be kidding? And before you give her a hard time about it, does she criticize your power rankings? Yeah, that's what I thought, smart guy.

As per usual, Holly, Joe Casciaro and I combined our rankings for these Voltron-esque mega-rankings. Remember, these rankings are strictly for entertainment purposes, so please... no wagering.

Rank (Last wk.)	Team	Record (Last 10)	Comment
1. (3)	Lakers	27-5 (8-2)	Joe says: "Not sure if this is a case of the Lakers rising, or just the Celtics and Cavs tripping up a bit. Either way, the Lake-show have won six straight and are on the cusp of 20 straight at the Staples Center."
2. (1)	Cavaliers	27-6 (7-3)	Holly says: "Suffered a loss to the Wizards (and I don't want to hear about a 'crab dribble'), but these guys are still the hottest thing in the East."
3. (2)	Celtics	29-6 (6-4)	Scott says: "You know people are starting to get worried in Boston when the media is seriously reporting that the Celtics might acquire Stephon Marbury and less than 100% of Celtics fans are doing spit-takes in response."
4. (4)	Magic	26-8 (8-2)	Scott says: "Despite losing to the Raptors on Sunday, Orlando is unlikely to fall out of the top three seeds in the East at any point. Also, be careful next time you think about heckling Dwight Howard because if he hears you, he might give you the 'DX Chop' in return.
5. (7)	Spurs	23-11 (8-2)	Holly says: "Calmly defeating teams, dismantling defences and holding it down while everyone looks past them."
6. (8)	Nuggets	24-12 (7-3)	Joe says: "Denver has shot up to third in the mighty West, but they are going to need every spot they jumped, because 'Melo looks to be headed to the inactive list with a fractured hand."
7. (9)	Pistons	21-11 (8-2)	Holly says: "Seven straight, the emerging play of Rodney Stuckey ,there are things to smile about in Motown once again."
8. (6)	Hawks	22-11 (8-2)	Scott says: "This was the second week out of the five weeks I've been coordinating these rankings that I almost forgot to include the Hawks. I guess my brain just can't process how freakin' good they are this season. I'd be less surprised if I looked out the window right now and saw a cat making love to a dog."
9. (5)	Hornets	20-10 (7-3)	Joe says: "New Orleans, like every other team behind the Lakers but ahead of the Grizzlies, still has second place right there for the taking. You have to figure the Hornets will make their move north-ward sooner rather than later."
10. (10)	Blazers	20-14 (5-5)	Scott says: "Joel Przybilla update! In our first Sweet 16, I pointed out that Vanilla Thunder had a ridiculous .836 field goal percentage. Well, since he obviously isn't getting as many touches as his offensive supremacy deserves, his success rate has since dropped to 75 percent. Now that Brandon Roy will miss some time with a tweaked hammy, I expect Ghostface will step forward to claim his rightful place as King of Stumptown."
11. (13)	Suns	19-12 (7-3)	Joe says: "Phoenix has been relatively quiet this year, going about their business without garnering much attention. But Shaq is playing his best ball in years, Amare is peaking and J-Rich seems to fit in fine in the dessert. And that Nash character is pretty decent too. Sounds like a good formula to me. This is a scary team."
12. (12)	Mavericks	20-13 (7-3)	Holly says: "Maybe not looking as dominant as they'd like, but they are only 2.5 games back in the Southwest division."
13. (14)	Jazz	20-15 (5-5)	Scott says: "In this week's edition of Greek ballers you shouldn't sleep on, I present seven-footer Kosta Koufos. If you're in a fantasy league with Tas Melas next season, draft Koufos a couple of rounds earlier than you think you need to -- trust me on this. "
14. (11)	Rockets	21-14 (5-5)	Joe says: "If you got a chance to see the Rockets in town on Friday night and heard some of the post-game comments from their talented squad, two things became clear. T-Mac is nowhere near 100 per cent and this ship is sinking fast."
15. (15)	Heat	18-15 (6-4)	Joe says: "I don't know how to look at this team. Glass half full: They have already surpassed last year's horrid win total and look like a lock to make the playoffs again in the East. Half empty: D-Wade is playing as good as ever, returning to Flash-like form, you have Marion, plus two great rooks in Beasley and Chalmers -- and yet you still can't do better than middle of the pack in the NBA."
16. (HUH?)	Grizzlies	11-23 (2-8)	Holly says: "One of my most favourite teams to watch. OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol. What more could a girl ask for?"

Senators slide into Buffalo

Jon Ciarlo — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:15:00 GMT

The Ottawa Senators slide into Buffalo with a firm 5 point hold on the #4 lottery draft position. Those are decent odds at landing Tavares or Hedman, and it's early yet.... #1 is within reach!

Considering that the 2009 WJHC probably just netted Melnyk what he would from a first round playoff exit from his Ottawa Senators, I wonder how much he really cares if we make the playoffs anyway?

In other news, Mike Fisher is clearly ok with Tony Romo's sloppy seconds. It's nice to see that Mike hasn't completely lost his scoring touch. Apparently Underwood was on hand to witness another embarrassing loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday night at the ACC. Fisher's high profile relationship couldn't come at a better time for Senator's brass... anything to distract the media from our embarrasing record is a good thing.

Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson has lost another bet with Eugene Melnyk when Team Canada defeated Team Sweden for gold last night. Alfie's punishment will be to wear a Team Canada jersey at their next home practice. With any luck that will be this Saturday's gameday skate before the game against the NY Rangers so I can be on hand to witness it.

Last but not least.... what the heck was up with Karlsson sporting that ridiculous mustache for the gold medal game? It's one thing when the whole team decides to grow ridiculous facial hair, but when only one guy does it someone has to step up and set him straight. I'll forgive him since he was named defenseman of the tournament and of course he's our first round pick from last year.

GO SENS GO!

The Rey Maualuga - Erin Andrews "Incident"

Andrew Stoeten — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:09:19 GMT

Hey, look! It's the best defensive player in the NCAA, USC's Rey Maualuga, treating ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews like... well... everybody seems to figure it's OK to treat Erin Andrews.

Funny-- I guess-- but... weird. Like, for one, is this even a story? I think so, but mostly because the whole Erin Andrews thing has grown a little strange, hasn't it? (Also: cheap page views) I mean, am I the only one who thinks she kinda sometimes looks a little too witchy? Wait, no. That's not what I mean, I mean, it's really become a little too OK to watch and film and take pictures of and blog about her every move, hasn't it? Things are maybe getting a little creepy here, no? And exactly how has it become so acceptable for this one person to be obsessed over this way?

The Big Lead tries to get to the nut of the situation:

"Bonnie Bernstein, Jill Arrington, Melissa Stark - they covered college sports for years. Did incidents like this not happen to them because they gave off more of a professional [read: "not as hot", says a TBL commenter] vibe? Or is the spotlight always on Andrews, and try as she might, there’s no escaping it?"

Meh. I dunno...

Sundin "Virtually" A Canuck

Derek Snider — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:49:45 GMT

As we await this drawn out chapter in all our lives to come to an end, Mats Sundin continues to keep us hanging. Sundin, who took a dog's age to make up his mind on what team to sign with, has yet to decide when his first game with the Canucks will be.

To ease the pain of the wait, we thought we would provide you with a look at what Mats looks like suited up in the Blue and White (with a touch of Green). Here are some exclusive picks of Sundin in Canucks colours from EA Sports NHL '09.

Leaked Forza Motorsport 3 In-Game Artwork

James Sharpe — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:46:00 GMT

Although no official release date has been revealed, the company behind all the pretty in-game artwork has let loose a couple of teaser images of the new Forza Motorsport 3. Microsoft Game Studios has sub-contracted Kaarbo Designs to create menu graphics for all previous Forza Motorsport games and they’ve let loose some early pre-production proofs of Forza 3 in-game race posters.

Leaked Forza 3 posters

2009 Bentley Continental GTC

James Sharpe — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:42:00 GMT

Sporting an upgraded visage, 600 HP, new ceramic brakes, top speed of 200 MPH and interior color choices like aquamarine, the Bentley Continental GTC Speed is the perfect gift for the sheik in your life.

Smokin' Darts

Andrew Stoeten — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:42:15 GMT

Dutch threat Raymond van Barneveld recently lost the World Darts Championship final to legend Phil Taylor, but not before he nailed a 9-darter (a perfect game) against fellow Dutch threat, and delicious food item(?), Jelle Klaasen in the quarter finals. Honestly, it's really quite amazing...

The final, as I'm sure you're quite aware, was a rematch of what's perhaps "the greatest darts match ever", which took place two years ago in PDC World Championship final. I tried to find a video of this, but gave up looking when I noticed that there is actually a fucking darts video game, and somebody had actually posted a video on YouTube of a match they played themselves between van Barneveld and Taylor.

Frankly, if this doesn't look like the best game ever to you, you should probably check your pulse, because you may not be human, you may actually be a zombie, in which case, you probably shouldn't be on the internet, you should be out there killing people who tuck their t-shirts into their jeans. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what zombies do, though I may be basing that solely on the opening ten minutes of Beyond Re-Animator. . .

No, you're writing blog posts about sports nobody gives a shit about.

Most Hated Maple Leafs Of All-Time

Daniel Santos — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:07:00 GMT

In honour of the return of Bryan McCabe, here's the list of my most-hated Toronto Maple Leafs of all-time (feel free to post yours below):

3. Larry Murphy
No doubt a hall-of-fame defenceman. No doubt looked like he should have retired in 1997 after playing the worst hockey of his career. He then went on to win a Stanley Cup in Detroit that same year after being mercilessly booed out of town.

2. Jason Allison
Big, old, slow and washed up. Represented everything that Leafs Nation hated about the its team in the John Ferguson era. Put up 1.09 points per game in his 3 previous seasons before coming to Toronto. In Toronto, couldn't even skate faster than a Jason Blake wrist shot.

1. Bryan McCabe
Dumb, lazy, overpaid and a jackass to boot. His blunders were almost as infuriating as his paralyzing contract. However, his blunders weren't as idiotic as his comments off the ice.

Honourable mention: Andrew Raycroft, Aki Berg
Current candidates: Jeff Finger, Jason Blake

How can the OPOY get no MVP votes?

Brad Gagnon — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:45:58 GMT

Yes, we’ve heard that the offensive player of the year and the MVP are two very different things. One guy gets by on sheer numbers and dominating performances, while the other is the most valuable to his team.

In other words, how many games did Peyton Manning win for the Colts this year? Six, maybe seven. Without Manning, Indy would’ve been lucky to finish .500. With him, the Colts were 12-4.

So sure, Manning likely made the biggest difference to his team.

But today, Saints quarterback Drew Brees was named offensive player of the year. It would be hard to argue that Brees deserved a shot at the MVP because even if he won the Saints every game they played, it didn’t make a difference in the end. After all, New Orleans missed the playoffs.

So the question is: If Manning is an offensive player, and Brees is an offensive player, and Manning made greater contributions to his team than Brees, how is it that Brees gets named offensive player of the year?

Did Manning play defence? No. Special teams? No chance. All of no. 18’s contributions were on offence, which is why he probably should’ve been given the OPOY award, too. (This is without considering Adrian Peterson, which is a different story for a different day.)

Brees didn’t get a single vote for MVP. He got 22 for offensive player of the year. Manning got 32 votes for MVP. He got only nine for offensive player of the year.

And the thing is, Brees didn’t have all that great a year. Passing yards are overrated; they come as a result of bad defence and a bad running game. The Saints trailed a lot, giving Brees a chance to continually pile up yards. Everywhere else, Brees was closer to Joe Six Pack than Superman.

Let’s look at the stats for each:

Manning: 66.8%, 4002 YDS, 27 TD, 12 INT, 95.0 RATING (17 touchdowns and three interceptions in his last nine games, all wins)

Brees: 65.0%, 5069 YDS, 34 TD, 17 INT, 96.2 RATING (seven interceptions in his last three divisional games)

Uh, something’s not quite right here.

So Much to Say!

Liam Nixon — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:08:00 GMT

Well, I wish I could say I'm come back well-rested from the holiday season, but let's be honest... like 99% of people, my Christmas/New Year's celebrations weren't exactly a chance to "unwind" or "relax". Moreso just another reason to fill my body with not-so-healthy food, and more than the average bear's amount of libations. But man oh man, was there ever some great hockey played over the past few weeks! Let's break it down, shall we?

World Juniors

I know this is the NHL Sixpack, but the World Jrs is my favourite sporting event every year, and was the focus of most Canadians sports fans, so let's start there. What an amazing tournament for the Canadian side. The first three games were glorified practices, but that Canuck squad was put to the test in those final three games. I'm not sure I'll ever see a better 20 minutes of hockey than the first period against the States. The Americans came out confident, while the Canadians looked nervous and almost intimidated. Tokarski was fighting the puck, but his boys bailed him out by fighting back in true Canadian style and pulling out the 'W'. And what can you say about the semi-final against Russia? Being from Medicine Hat, I've never been able to cheer for Jordan Eberle, being that he plays with the Regina Pats. But I'll tell you what, I sure was a fan during this tournament, especially against the Ruskies. That was probably the best hockey game I've ever had the privilege of watching. I'm pretty sure I woke up an entire downtown block of babies when Eberle scored the tying goal, then proceeded to suffer anywhere from 4-7 heart attacks during the ensuing overtime and shootout. Then... the gold medal game. The Swedes were talking a lot of smack heading into the final, saying they weren't going to shy away from the body contact. I really think that's what did them in - trying to play Canada's style of game. Sure, the Swedes CAN hit, but that isn't what makes them successful. When looking at pure skill, I really think the Swedes had the Canadians beat. But the boys in yellow came out trying to make a physical impact, and it ended up backfiring on them. Jacob Markstrom should be really embarrassed today with the way he was flopping all over the ice, trying to get calls. Sure, Esposito may have dragged his leg a bit when they collided, but Markstrom left his leg out too, trying to draw a penalty. He was the best goalie in the tournament (except maybe Slovak keeper Jaroslav Janus... hello Team USA!) but he made himself look like a flat-out amateur with his antics last night. On the other end, how about Dustin Tokarski answering the critics? Yes, he has a Memorial Cup MVP to his credit, but he had back-to-back shaky performances against the States and Russia, there's no arguing that. But the kid showed why he's one of the best in Canada as he kicked out 39 saves against the Swedes. Good to see the team win WITH his as opposed to IN SPITE OF him. Angelo Esposito must be the happiest kid in Canada today. To go from getting cut from the team 3 years in a row, to saving his best performance for the gold medal game? Awesome. And I have to pay due to the two members from the Medicine Hat Tigers, forward Tyler Ennis and Assistant Coach (Head Coach for the Tigers) Willie Desjardins. Ennis wasn't one of the standouts, but he played his role well, got on the scoreboard, and saw time on the top line with Tavares. Not every 18 year old can accept a secondary role when he's one of the WHL's top snipers, but Ennis did exactly that, and did it well. As for Willie, anyone who knows CHL hockey knows he is one of the top hockey minds in Canada, and he was instrumental in this gold medal. He was in charge of the PK, and we all know how that went. Congrats to both Tigers members on bringing home the gold.

Calgary Flames

As if World Junior gold wasn't enough to complete my holiday season... how about those Flames??? Let's start with the BoA from New Year's Eve... beauty! Jarome Iginla and Mike Cammalleri and quickly becoming one of the best 1-2 punches in the NHL. The Oilers had NO answer for the pairing, with both collecting 5 points in the Flames 6-4 win. Not only a big divisional win, but the first of the year against the Oil, which was a big relief. The best part of the game was the Flames ability/desire to battle from three separate 1-goal deficits. Nice to see Curtis Glencross back in the lineup, he adds great speed and a solid work ethic every time he's on the ice. And I know what Oilers fans will say: "Way to beat us without Hemsky in our lineup". To which I would respond: "Way to be a one-man team!" Easy enough.

As for some of the other games during that "points-in-ten-straight-games" stretch... I was able to listen to the Ducks matchup as I was driving to Calgary the night of Dec. 23; nice to see Brett Sutter light the lamp in his first NHL game. Some people have said he only got called up because of his last name. And by "people", I mean "people who clearly don't follow him closely... at all". Was he a goal-scorer in his WHL career? No. Has he been a goal-scorer in the AHL? Nope. So what does he bring? Solid two-way play, great work ethic, and probably the most important thing of all... hockey smarts. The kid knows where to be on the ice at all times, and he's able to read the play and react. He'll never score 15-20 goals on a consistent basis (hell, he might not score 7-10 in a full year) but he doesn't have to. That's not his role. Another game that comes to mind is the Dec. 29 matchup against Minny. Eric Nystrom is another guy who won't score a tonne of goals, but what a great move he put on Josh Harding for his short-handed, game-winning goal. He insists he didn't plan it, but it sure looked sweet! Lastly, the game in Nashville this past Saturday. The Flames don't have a great history playing in Nashville (especially in afternoon games for some reason...), and it was looking bleak again being down 2-1 going into the third. But as they've done a lot lately, the team showed great resiliency, scoring twice in the third to take it 3-2. Todd Bertuzzi has regained his early season form, and scored the winner on a great tip-in with 24 seconds left.

Sadly, the streak came to an end (as I thought it might...) against the 'Hawks on Sunday. I never want to "expect" the Flames to lose, but that was a pretty tough matchup. I was hoping for a measure of revenge after Chicago got the OT decision a few weeks back at the 'Dome, but it wasn't to be. Honestly though, it was pretty tough to be disappointed after all the recent success. So what now? Well, back on home ice for three games, and it gets started with a HUGE test against the Sharks tonight. I think the Western Conference can be broken down into three tiers... The Elite (SJ and DET), The Middle (a lot of teams), and Everybody Else (NSH, STL, CLB). For the Flames to take the next step, they need to be able to be competitive against the Elites. It didn't go so well against the Sharks back on Nov. 13 with that embarrassing 6-1 loss, but this is a different Flames team that's had more time to gel, and I think tonight's game will be a lot closer. And yes, I'm calling a Flames win. I say Iggy has a 2-point night, and the Flames win a squeaker... 3-2.

Oh, and by the way, if this year isn't proof enough that the NHL needs to take the All-Star voting out of the fans' hands, no year will be. Kovalev AND Komisarek starting for the East?! What a French-Canadian joke that is. Brutal.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season (yes, even you Doug...) and let's get some good chatter going during the second half!

The Tuesday Table

Kristian Jack — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:11:00 GMT

Kristian Jack back with you for this symbol of footballing excellence and that's the institution, for five weeks now anyway, known as The Tuesday Table. Now, as you know the Premiership took a back seat to the excellent FA Cup on the weekend so, for this week, my Tuesday Table is much different. I cannot, after all, evaluate league play on cup play so the current Tuesday Table standings remain the same. This week I decided to keep with the theme of evaluating players. Last week I received a lot of excellent comments from my list of top 100 Premiership players so I decided to keep on that route and go with a table of players who I think need to have a big 2009 for their team. You will not find any players here who made it into my top 100. Here you will see nothing more than average players, underachievers and guys who spend more time at the physio and snooker tables than on the training pitch. In honour of the Tuesday Table I have decided to list the players in the order in which I think they have the best chance of turning things around while still playing in the Premiership.

1. Eduardo (Arsenal) - Sitting behind a desk and typing this I will admit to having no idea how difficult it must be for a professional footballer to sit on the sidelines for 11 months recovering from an injury. The excellent striker, though, tops my list here as I fully expect him to be back to his best sometime in 2009.

2. Nani (Man Utd) - Watching Nani on the weekend at Southampton reminded me of Cristiano Ronaldo three years ago. Nani is starting to look stronger and more confident and I think he will be unleashed as a first-team regular starting in August when his countryman is playing in Spain.

3. Louis Saha (Everton) - Saha is an accomplished striker who has a great talent for scoring goals. This is a big year, though, for the Frenchman with the absence of Yakubu. Everton will lean on him more and if he stays healthy he could score the goals to take Everton into Europe once again.

4. Afonso Alves (Middlesbrough) - Alves has all the physical attributes of a world class striker. Tall, strong and athletic its no wonder Boro paid 10 million for him but the speed of the Premiership has left him trailing in its dust a little. Have to think that he will turn it around sooner rather than later.

5. Kieron Dyer (West Ham) - Hard to believe that's its been five months longer on the sidelines for Dyer than for Eduardo. On his day, the former Ipswich Town man is a magician in the midfield. Placed on the top 5 merely in the hope that it brings him good luck on the injuries so he can finally get back to doing what he does best.

6. Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough) - There is a great chance that come February 1st, Downing will be a Tottenham player. Should that happen then he may well progress to the level that many feel he is already at. To me, he remains an average player with a lack of pace but he is placed high knowing that once he's around new mates like Modric, Lennon and Jenas then he could well blossom.

7. Benny McCarthy (Blackburn) - 'Hey Benny why don't you go and learn the offside rule?' Supremely talented in front of goal, Rovers have another questionable character up front to go alongside the soon-to-be-departed Roque Santa Cruz. Has the chance to bloom under Big Sam and could well become a player who can score 20 league goals.

8. Owen Hargreaves (Man Utd) - Back to the treatment room here and the Canadian born midfielder has had no luck since he joined Old Trafford. Alex Ferguson does have a reputation, though, of sticking by his guys through long injury absences. Just how long it turns out to be is the question.

9. Dean Ashton (West Ham) - Some guys are unlucky with an injury and some guys are just lucky when not injured. The latter applies here. Ashton is exactly what he will always be. An excellent striker when fit.

10. Andy Johnson (Fulham) - Its about time 't-shirt man' bucked his ideas up. 4 league goals from 19 games simply isn't good enough. Thankfully, Roy Hodgson can organise his team with some excellent defence otherwise AJ would be getting a lot more fingers pointed at him right now.

11. David Nugent (Portsmouth)- I feel bad for David Nugent. I saw him when he was a young striker at Bury and then at Preston and thought he had the potential to reach the very top. He's never really been given the chance at Fratton Park but that chance could be coming with Defoe's miss back to Tottenham.

12. Ryan Babel (Liverpool) - This choice will surprise many but the greatest answer in the history of the Footy Show quiz really has little else to write next to his name. I do think he hasn't quite been given the opportunities he wants at Anfield but, for me, he remains a player who will likely leave Liverpool and be better elsewhere.

13. Florent Malouda (Chelsea) - Footy Show regulars know my opinion only too well on this guy and I will generally go about two weeks before I bring it up again. Not good enough for the top level of the Premiership. Will not be playing in Chelsea blue by August.

14. Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham) - I've always believed that international tournaments have a way of overhyping players. Remember, all players can have a good spell of games and the Russian forward certainly had 3 good games at Euro 2008 but in the two games against Spain he was woeful and I am not convinced he is suited for the fast, physical play of the Premiership.

15. Alan Smith (Newcastle) - Not too many players join Manchester United and then leave not too long after for less money. Smith's career has been a mess. It remains one full of potential but one full of so many question marks that it's hard to see what will be around the corner for him.

16. Andrea Dossena (Liverpool) - The Italian left back recently told The Guardian that he needs to get to another level to improve his game. I think he needs to get to another team in a different league and I would suggest a move back home. Very slow it's hard to see how this guy has 5 caps for Italy. A drastic change needs to happen if he is to be Liverpool's long-term answer at left back.

17. Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn) - Remember when he was good? I don't. Many people believed Pedersen was an excellent addition to Blackburn thanks to evidence on highlight shows where every couple of months or so a fantastic strike would be shown. The Norweigan is nothing more than a Goal of The Month winner.

18. Pascal Chimbonda (Sunderland) - Some guys just never get it. He might think he has the talent to make manager's forget his antics and just write his name down each Saturday but he just doesn't.

19. Eddie Johnson (Fulham) - It took Roy Hodgson all of 6 league games to know that Johnson wasn't good enough. Still not scored a single league goal in English football despite trying his look at Cardiff City this season. Yes, I know Cardiff are in Wales but you get the point. Back in the MLS sooner rather than later.

20. Jermaine Pennant (Liverpool) - I'm wondering if all these big clubs being linked with Pennant is nothing more than a wind-up. There's some decent funny gameshows in England and surely this is another one, right? There used to be a show called 'This is Your Life' and I'm thinking somebody somewhere thought up a show called 'This isn't Your Life!' where they wind guys up and then pull the curtain and the audience are all rolling on the floor in laughter.

Morning Link Dump - Ines, Nikki, Whitlock, Sterger, Cat Fight, Blackhawks

Andrew Stoeten — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:19:00 GMT

Obligatory Sports Babe

Here we have Ines Sainz, who apparently is a sideline reporter for soccer games in Mexico, and who makes me wonder why the hell I don't watch more Mexican soccer-- but I guess that's because I had no idea she existed until I saw her in Manofest's 20 Hottest Sports TV Personalities of All Time.

On That Note, And Because I Keep Forgetting To Post This

Here's an excellent Sports By Brooks post from just before the holidays on the Score's own Nikki Reyes, which is a response to a piece by the Globe's resident radical feminist, William Houston (who, for the sake of completeness I should add, if you read the piece, forgets-- um, conveniently?-- that Nikki hosted NBA XL for years before coming to the Score, then was here for a year before landing on Score in the Morning-- which isn't quite the way he makes it sound).

Whitlock's Leftover Truths

Great piece from Jason Whitlock that touches on a whole bunch of creamy goodness, from Barkley to Erin Andrews to Dan Patrick to Deadspin. Not much funny to say about this, but it's worth a read.

Jenn Sterger Is Good Looking

This fact is pretty undeniable, and apparently the New York Daily News noticed, somehow finding an excuse to do a feature on her, even though she kind of doesn't do anything. The Big Lead calls bullshit.

Meow!

Tennis star Ana Ivanovic was recently photographed romping on the beach in Australia with golfer (or as more than one site I've read has inexplicably termed him, "golf hunk") Adam Scott-- who, Sports By Brooks notices, was listed on Maria Sharapova's website as her #6 dream mixed doubles partner, with the caption: "Night match please?" Can we get a cat fight in here or what???

Blackhawks' Marketing Dept.: FAIL

Did you ever see those web videos of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews where they were soliciting votes for the All-Star Game? Actually... I'm guessing you didn't, because, as you can see below, the geniuses on the Blackhawks' marketing team broke rule number one of creating a viral video: for fuck sakes, don't pull your video from YouTube! (Hat tip: Stanley Cup of Chowder)

$250,000 Question About Office Space

Unreal! This would be like me getting a question about stealing content from Deadspin. His reaction is just priceless.

Attakora-Gyan wins CSA award

Joe Ross — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:09:22 GMT

PRESS RELEASE

Toronto FC announced Tuesday that defender Nana Attakora-Gyan has been named the recipient of the Canadian U-20 Player of the Year Award for the 2008 season. Fifty percent of the votes were compiled by national team coaches and the other half by Canadian coaches who have taken the Canadian Soccer Association’s national course at the B and A levels.

“It’s a great testament to Nana and how hard he worked last season,” said Toronto FC head coach John Carver. “It’s a great start to the season for him, and we’re delighted he’s been given that honour.”

Attakora-Gyan made his first MLS start on Saturday, August 8 in Colorado in a 1-0 TFC victory over the Rapids. He logged 318 minutes making five appearances, three of those in a starting role. The defender also started in each of Toronto FC’s two international friendlies, July 5 against Pachuca of Mexico, and July 15 versus Independiente of Argentina.

The native of Orangeville, ON is a member of the Canadian U-20 team that has begun preparing for next year’s CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship. He took part in all three U-20 camps.

The David Beckham Game

Kristian Jack — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:50:00 GMT

Loyal Footy Show readers, watchers and listeners I need your help. This morning another battle took place in the David Beckham war. Today was the 15th or 16th chapter of a long debate between myself, James Sharman and other members of the Toronto soccer media about this guy and during today's battle James, via email, finally said something that made sense:

"Has there ever been a more polarizing sporting figure than Becks?"

This indeed is a great question. I am not going to sit here and give you all the reasons for the case that he is the most overrated athlete in the history of sports. I may believe that but now isn't the time to debate that. For more on my thoughts on Becks check out my blog when it was announced he was going to AC Milan.

Today I am going to ask you to play a game. Many of you read my recent posting of The Top 100 Players in the Premiership. For the sake of this game, David Beckham just decided to sell more shirts and today signed for a team in the Premiership. Where, do you put him in this list today? I don't want to read 'well it depends on the team'. On pure talent alone where is he on the list.

For the record I will place him exactly at 100.

Finally, check out TFC Connected's Top 50 MLS list to see where Beckham belongs on this side of the pond.

Cheers,

Kristian

Forsberg skating with Modo in Sweden

Joe Ross — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:54:11 GMT

With the Mats Sundin saga now complete, there's a void for a "Will He, Won't He" type drama involving an aging Swedish superstar. It appears Peter Forsberg could be filling that void.

Adrian Dater of the Denver Post reports that Forsberg is back skating with his old club in Sweden, Modo. If healthy, would he come back to play for the Avalanche? Dater seems to think so.

Meanwhile in Avs Country, head coach Tony Granato tells the Rocky Mountain News that the club's injury situation will not force them into making a trade. He does add a that old caveat though - if the "right deal" were to magically "come along", they'd have to make it.

Tuesday EPL + MLS Rumours - Serioux, Defoe, Man City latest

Joe Ross — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:36:36 GMT

EPL

+ A medical is all the separates Portsmouth forward Jermain Defoe from a transfer to Tottenham. The rumoured fee is £15M.

+ Carlos Tevez says he will leave Manchester United if he's not offered a contract. A potential move to Real Madrid is hinted at, yet again.

+ The latest from Manchester City: owner Sheik Mansour still thinks he can buy Kaka and John Terry in January, despite their position in the league. As for their more realistic targets, they've turned their attention to wrapping up the Roque Santa Cruz deal while the wait on West Ham for word on Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy. Oh, and apparently a £24M(!) bid for Barcelona's Yaya Toure has been tabled. Nice player and all, but £24M? He ain't that good.

+ Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is set to bid for Celtic bad bhoy (see what I did there?) Aiden McGeady.

+ Arsene Wenger could "rekindle" his interest in Portsmouth playmaker Niko Kranjcar.

+ Rumoured MLS target (or was it vice versa?) Stephen Appiah could be signing with Spurs.

+ AC Milan have joined Real Madrid in the "chase" for Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant. Apparently a proposed move to the Bernabeu fell through because the two sides couldn't come to personal terms! WTF? Either I'm really underrating Pennant or this guy has one incredible agent. I mean like "miracle working" agent.

+ Is Roman Abramovich tiring of Chelsea? Who knows, but Henry Winter speculates.

MLS/USL

+ Buzz Carrick at 3rd Degree pours some cold water on those Adrian Serioux to Toronto rumours.

+ Finally official: Galaxy forward Landon Donovan will play for Bayern Munich on loan from MLS.

+ The Seattle Sounders have signed goalkeeper Chris Eylander, who played for the Sounders in the USL. He will backup Kasey Keller.

+ Venezuelan defender Henry Bautista has been linked with a move to LA Galaxy.

+ The Montreal Impact have extended the contracts of Mauro Biello & Patrick Leduc

Italy

+ Juventus keeper Gigi Buffon is set to play in a friendly against Monaco today after missing three months due to injury.

+ Torino president Urbano Cairo claims his star playmaker Allessandro Rosina will not be sold to Arsenal.

Spain

+ Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says Kun Aguero will not be moving to Barcelona.

+ How's this for a (Danny Dyer voice) pwopah teauw ahp? NINTEEN red cards are handed out in a regional first division match in Cadiz.

The Mysterious Case of Chad Kilger

Joe Ross — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:49:45 GMT

Steve Simmons has an interesting piece in the Toronto Sun this morning, as he tries to find out just what the hell happened to Chad Kilger (or Chad Kilgour, as Harry Neale used to say). The veteran winger was playing some of the best hockey of his career before being dealt from the Maple Leafs to the Panthers on February 26th of last year. Kilger never reported to Florida and no one seems to know why or where he is.

Did he leave the game to "keep his family together"? Has he ballooned to 250 pounds, living in his hometown of Cornwall? Is he "on holidays" as his mother says?

Highly recommended reading.

Tuesday Morning Rumour Links

Joe Ross — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:34:43 GMT

Here's a few nuggets to mull over on your boss' dime while you settle in with your morning coffee:

Adrian Dater of the Denver Post has an article up detailing why it's so difficult to make a trade in the NHL right now. With six teams within $1M of the $56.7M salary cap, and 14 within $2M, a lot of franchises are handcuffed from making deals. Avs GM Francois Giguere complains "It's just not as easy as it used to be to make trades"
Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is quoted in the Boston Globe saying that bringing in a high priced player now could prevent him from making a move at the trade deadline. In the same article, Globe writer Kevin Paul Dupont opines that free agent winger Brendan Shanahan would not be a good fit for the Bruins.
The Montreal Canadiens made a minor move yesterday, acquiring defenceman T.J. Kemp from the Penguins for a 7th Round pick. Kemp has played 22 games at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL this season, picking up 1 goal in 8 assists. He'll report to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Welcome to the NHL Rumours Blog

Joe Ross — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:58:28 GMT

Hi there.

We've started this blog up on TheScore.com to keep you informed on all of the latest trade and free agent rumours from around the National Hockey League. There will be no updates on injuries, coaches, callups and demotions or Boots Del Biaggio stories. This is going to be your source to find out the latest on who's being shopped where and what type of player certain general managers are seeking.

We won't be quoting any mysterious "sources". Everything will be linked to major media outlets.

Your feedback, as always on TheScore.com, is welcome in the comments section.

Thanks. Hope you enjoy.

Where Amazing Happened... And Where It Didn't: January 6th, 2009

Holly MacKenzie — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:59:00 GMT

Where Amazing Happened

- Vincent Lamar Carter. Oh goodness do Torontonians hate, but at the end of the day a guy who can toss up 29, 9 and 7 with ease is something special. He's still got it. With Devin Harris chilling on the bench, nursing a sore hamstring for the final 24 minutes of the game, VC went to work and helped his Nets grab the victory.

- Manuuuuuuuuu Ginobili. Tell me you saw that block on Dwyane. If you didn’t, that’s really too bad, but check this game-changing clip. Who knew Mr. Gin had those hops in him. Nasty.

- Paul Millsap. 18 consecutive double-double’s in the absence of Carlos Boozer? I’d say that’s a pretty freaking spectacular fill-in. Last night’s line was 19 and 14 as he played a key role in Utah's victory over the Warriors.

- Matt Bonner. Everyone's former favorite Raptor. Dropping in 10 points against the Heat, it’s always a pleasure to see Bonner taking care of business on the basketball court.

Sidenote: Two friends of mine participated in NBA Hoop-It-Up a few summers ago and in a small, cramped little bar in New Brunswick they spot Bonner. More than a little inebriated, they of course run over to him to tell him that they are his biggest fans. Bonner's a champ, poses for photos and basically helps to make their lives complete. Sounds about right, doesn't it?

-Darius Miles appearing in his first game since the 2005-2006 season when he was in Portland. Nine more appearances and Portland will be stuck paying his 9 million dollar salary. Have garbage minutes ever been so valuable before? On another Darius note, I feel the urge to admit to watching “The Perfect Score”, a movie he was in a few years ago where he played (wait for it), a high school basketball player who needed help with his SAT's to get into university so that he could play ball.

And… Where It Didn’t

- Hamstring injuries. Seriously. Devin Harris sitting out the second half, Maggette returning from a 15 game absence because of a strained hamstring only to see SJax go down because of his own and of course, both Jose Calderon and Brandon Roy are missing time action right now because of those nagging injuries. What is going on with these hamstrings? Maybe these guys all need Steve Hess, the Nuggets trainer that I mentioned yesterday.

- Jeff Foster connecting with Melo’s right hand. Probable fracture is the team report and it does not sound like fun. Hoping for good news when Carmelo heads to a specialist today to see the extent of his injury and how long he will be missing.

-Charles Barkley, Antoine Walker and Jason Richardson all getting arrested on suspicion of DUI. Let’s learn to hire a driver, guys, yeah? K, thanks.

- Charlie Villanueva scoring 13 of his 25 points against the Raptors in the fourth quarter. I actually really like Charlie V, but seeing how I’m rooting for the Raps, this fits in here.

-Vinny Del Negro deciding that guys are not allowed to eat in the locker room pregame. Seriously? Poor Bulls guys thought they got rid of ridiculous rules with the departure of Skiles. Nope. Because pregame eating habits are the root of their many problems. Foolish.

-The Crab Dribble. Bron gets called for the travel and after watching replays of his move he says it was not a travel but a "crab dribble", which is a move that he's used many times before. To this I have to say, a travel, is a travel, is a travel. Whether or not you get called for it, it's like that stupid, "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to see it, did it still fall" nonesense. If a tree falls, a tree falls. If you take more than two steps or switch your pivo foot, you've traveled, regardless of how often the refs may let it slide. And because of this controversial call, I've heard the term crab dribble more in the past 24 hours than ever before in my life. Only LBJ.

Witness Team Canada winning gold live - CHECK!

Jon Ciarlo — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:47:00 GMT

There's a new top hockey moment on my list, and it was witnessing Team Canada win their 5th consecutive gold medal.

Here's my top 6 favourite hockey moments witnessed live:

2009 WJHC - Canada wins gold with a 5-1 win over Sweden
Game 4 of the 2006-07 Stanley Cup finals in Ottawa.
Wayne Gretzky's last game played in Canada
2000 memorial cup - won by the home team Ottawa 67's
1997 - Ottawa's first playoff berth after a 1-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres
1996 World Cup of Hockey - Canada loses 3rd and decisive game to the USA in Montreal.

Unfortunately I did not have the Canada vs Russia semi-final or that might have been on the top of the list. Did anyone attend both games? Watching them win gold is pretty special, but as far as hockey games go... I don't think the gold medal game can touch the Russia game. That Jordan Eberle goal with 5.4 seconds remaining just might be the biggest goal ever scored for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Can anyone nominate a better one?

WJHC: Canada Wins Gold in Photos

Bob Coatsworth — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:25:00 GMT

Cody Hodgson comes close to scoring a first-period goal.

Tyler Myers down to block a shot.

Angelo Esposito and Swedish goalie Jacob Markstrom race for a loose puck.

Victor Hedman puts Esposito into a headlock after a collision with his goaltender.

Dustin Tokarski about to make the save on Marcus Johansson, one of 39 in the game.

Team Canada's bench as the final seconds tick off the clock.

P.K. Subban celebrates gold with John Tavares.

P.K. Subban, John Tavares and Tyler Ennis sing along to the national anthem.

Captain Thomas Hickey lifts the hardware. Eugene Melnyk wishes he could have drafted him.

For a fifth straight time, your World Junior hockey champions.

And finally, from close range.

- Photos courtesy Dave Sandford & Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

Maybe Harrison should’ve respectfully declined DPOY

Brad Gagnon — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:24:30 GMT

Right now, we’re wondering if Steelers linebacker James Harrison should’ve turned down the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Sure, Harrison deserved it. Maybe his teammate, safety Troy Polamalu, Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth were also worthy, but Harrison had one of the best defensive seasons in Pittsburgh Steelers history.

And when we’re talking Pittsburgh and defence, that means a lot.

But here’s the thing Harrison was grossly overlooking: the 2008 NFL Award Jinx.

Congratulations, Peyton Manning, you’re the NFL’s MVP.

San Diego 23, Indianapolis 17

Hey, Matt Ryan, you earned that rookie of the year award. And you have turned around the Falcons, Mike Smith, take the coach of the year award.

Arizona 30, Atlanta 24

Oh, and Chad Pennington. Only seven interceptions all season! After being cast aside by the Jets like yesterday’s garbage! You probably deserve to be named comeback player of the year.

Baltimore 27, Miami 9

Sorry, Adrian Peterson. We can’t give you the MVP. But take the Bert Bell Award.

Philadelphia 26, Minnesota 14

Harrison and the Steelers host the San Diego Chargers this weekend, so we’ll get a chance to see if the curse holds strong.

The offensive player of the year will be announced soon. Something tells us DeAngelo Williams and Philip Rivers are a little nervous.