I came across some commercials done for the NHL Network on YouTube and thought that I would share them with you all. I love'em.

NHL Network Commercial - Cliches
NHL Network Commercial - Goals
NHL Network Commercial - Blue Line
NHL Network Commercial - Neutral Zone
NHL Network Commercial - Guys Are Behind You
NHL Network Commercial - Puckey
NHL Network Commercial - Taking a good penalty
NHL Network Commercial - There is no "I" in team
NHL Network Commercial - 110% (my favourite)

Don't worry, I will be posting my experiences at the Memorial Cup. I've had some computer issues the last few days so it should be up early next week.


Take off,
Coco

Impact short on talent
The opener of the CONCACAF Champions League qualifiers (I am not using the corporate sponsor's name; that company's not paying me) showed that effort can't trump talent.
There was no doubt that the Montreal Impact, perennially one of the elite franchises in the lower-tier United Soccer Leagues, ran more, offered more tackles and dominated the territorial battle in the game with the big boys from the MLS, Toronto FC.
But, even with players missing due to international duty, TFC's talent was enough to overcome Montreal's hard work. The Impact could easily have been up 2-0 in the first 20 minutes, but point-blank shots by Rocco Placentino and David Testo both missed the TFC goal by wide margins. Placentino, a Montrealer, had played with some lower-division Italian clubs, but, with a total of three career goals in his USL career, showed that the challenge of playing an MLS club may be beyond him. Testo, meanwhile, has 60 goals in a long USL career; but the former University of North Carolina star has never been able to make the jump to the MLS.
Toronto got fewer chances, but looked more dangerous — and actually scored — in the few times it did get close to goal compared to all the times Montreal got into opposition penalty area.
The Saputo family has done a wonderful job with the Impact; they have transformed the team into one that hires the majority of its players from the community. Heck, coach Nick De Santis, who I remember covering back in the mid-'90s during the inaugural season of the Edmonton Drillers of National Professional Soccer League, is a Montrealer. And that's a major reason why the Impact can get more than 12,000 fans out to Stade Saputo and regularly sold out its old Claude Robillard stadium.
But, if Montreal was to realize its MLS dream, it could not field the kind of homegrown team that it tried to use against TFC. Just like TFC learned last season, the Canadian-first attitude, at least at this point, can't work in the MLS. So, players like Placentino or Adam Braz, the Montreal native who played with TFC last season, probably wouldn't make the cut.
The question, would Montreal support a team of imports as fervently as it does its lower-tier team filled with hometown heroes?

I just got back from Key West where I was reminded of the three things that Americans really love:

(1) Calories
(2) Bon Jovi
(3) Sports

It’s the third point I want to talk about. Now don’t get angry at me when I say this … but compared to Americans, we Canadians are not really sports fans.
Yes you may love your one or two teams but I’m betting you don’t know really care what is going on with many of the other teams in that league you like.
You see the difference is that in Calgary they don’t care too much about the Blue Jays inability to hit with men in scoring position or whether or not the Canadiens should try to re-sign both Alex Kovalev and Saku Koivu. But in the United States a basketball fan in Portland has a great deal of interest in which Division I NCAA school had the best recruiting class.

Now I am not saying this is a bad thing. Fanaticism of any kind is never healthy.

We Canadians enjoy our sports but in America sports are king. Consider that their most popular holiday, Thanksgiving, is about two things, Turkey and afternoon NFL football. George Bush’s greatest accomplishment was throwing a perfect strike during the 2001 World Series. You get where I am going with this.

The funny thing is I started writing this piece before I saw the ratings for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins vs. a star studded Red Wings team; you would think the greatest hockey nation in the world would be tuned in. Right? Wrong. Ratings were down 19% ... 19%! That is not a small blip, that's a huge number. In America it was a ratings bonanza. But since the finals did not have a Canadian team we decided to tune out. The greatest hockey nation in the world has lost interest in what was billed as the greatest Stanley Cup finals match-up in ages? Shouldn’t the ratings have been higher than last year? When it began weren’t we watching the birth of one Dynasty (Pittsburgh) vs. the most dominant team for the past 15 years? But since the finals did not have a team north of the border we just didn’t have the same interest. Are you kidding me? I can't think of a better example for why I don't see Canada as a sports nation.

Now again I am not necessarily saying this is a bad thing and it really isn't just about our national psyche.

We just don’t have anywhere near the monolithic sports media infrastructure that the U.S. has. In Canada you get a very limited amount of TV coverage of University sports and you can forget about high school sports. In America you have profile after profile of high school phenoms, even grade school stars splashed all over the sports section. When was the last time you read about a star WR from the University of Calgary? The athletes are out there, but the money isn’t, so a great number of stories will fall through the cracks. I used to cover University football and I can tell you some of the best football games I ever saw were between McMaster, Western, Queens and Laurier. Before he caught a TD pass vs. Winnipeg in the Grey Cup Andy Fantuz was the second most dominant Canadian collegiate athletes I ever saw (behind Jesse Lumsden).

But most Canadians have no idea where Fantuz came from.

We care about our small pockets of sports but not about Sport. Canadians in the West don't care about the only MLB or NBA teams in Canada, the Blue Jays and the Raptors. While Torontonians don't care about the CFL or Curling.

Sports fans in Seattle know what's going on with the Miami Heat while baseball fans in Dallas you know are bitching about Notre Dame Football. Go to any bar in the States and the majority of patrons identify themselves by their favourite teams. As I mentioned off the top I spent three days in Key West and every bar I went into (you lose count after a while) every conversation between strangers started by where they were from and soon went into the local team and their relative fates. Giants fans were talking about the Super Bowl while Suns fans were lamenting about their cursed luck and how dirty a team the Spurs were.

I'm not sure if this is all such a bad thing. I believe that Americans obsession about sports often blinds them about more socially important issues that should be addressed but get in the way of box scores.

However if you don't buy what I'm selling, I understand. But last me ask you this ... How many of your so called sports fans talk about the Raptors draft needs, who will go down as a better curler Kevin Martin or Glenn Howard and will the B.C. Lions win the Grey Cup over the space of one pint of beer?

So the Pens are down 2-love, they haven't scored a goal and they've been out-played from the get-go.

Is it time for the Penguins to panic? ... Not a chance!

In all sports, it's believed you're only in trouble in a series after you lose a game at home. This series is no different. The Red Wings did what they were supposed to do on home-ice and take care of business. Come the end of the series, nobody looks at what a team won or lost by - they look at the results. And who says the talented Penguins can't win a couple at home?

Mellon Arena has been kind to the Pens. They haven't lost a home game since February 24th (to a very talented San Jose Sharks team might I add), the kids have now got the jitters out of there systems, and the barn in Pittsburgh is one of the loudest in the NHL.

If the Pens lose Game 3, then fine - you can talk to me about trouble then. But until they lose a game at home, the Pens are very much still in this series.

gw

Hey all,

I received a bunch of emails today regarding my column in Monday's Toronto Sun. For it's entirety, you can read it here.

click here

As many of you know, when you write something for the paper, certain things get cut down because of space. Well, if you know me, I talk too much and write too much. So some of my argument about Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty taking ability was rightfully cut down. So here's the section below. Thoughts and comments are always appreciated. Start blogging - it's fun!

gw

gareth.wheeler@suntv.canoe.ca



Forget about the Real Madrid transfer rumours swirling around Cristinao Ronaldo because he ain't going anywhere.

Why? Cristiano (I refuse to call him Ronaldo) is too good for Manchester United to let go. Sir Alex Ferguson didn't let him leave after the highly publicized bust up with Wayne Rooney in World Cup 2006 and he will not let him go now. But let's not focus on the rumour - it's already been talked about too much.

Let's talk about how Cristiano almost cost United the Champions League because of a flaw in his game. Cristiano's approach to taking penalties is all wrong.

Unstoppable from the spot early in the season, Cristiano has been solved. It's all become too easy for the keeper, not because they know where he's going, it's because of his stutter-step.

I'm not sure when it became acceptable in football to take a penalty this way. The method of taking a stutter-step, completely stop, then finish your kick is an unnatural motion, leading to an impure strike of the ball. And many circles believe the move to be an infringement anyway.

Regardless, my managers have always told me; make up your mind where you're going to put it before you even step up to the ball, pick a corner and in one fluid motion, bury it. If the goalkeeper saves it - so be it. He won the battle. But chances are, if taken properly, you're going to score.

Now in saying this, I'm very well aware that Cristiano has always taken this approach, and has had a great deal of success. But now, he's missed three penalties in a row and the true flaw in his approach is coming to show.

Luckily for Cristiano, this mistake didn't cost his side a trophy and therefore removed him from widespread criticism.

My family and I were driving home from a day out in the country last Friday; the Jays game had just started, and we were listening to the play-by-play on the FAN 590.
It was a beautiful spring evening, not a cloud in the sky and, as we drove by the Rogers Centre on the Gardiner, I couldn't help notice that the dome was, well, closed.
Maybe the rest of Canada sees "weather" a little differently than Toronto. But, in the decade-plus I spent living in Alberta, as soon as it got over zero, the patios opened. At 10 C, if you were still wearing a jacket, there was something wrong with you. And, at that temperature, shorts were a feasible option. But, I don't think Torontonians are that spoiled. I think, if you'd ask the fans, that they'd wish that the Jays' brass would open the dome a heck of a lot more.
On a beautiful spring evening, there's no way I'd want to be indoors when the weather is agreeable. But, since I've been back in Toronto, I can't help but notice how many times the Jays have played with the roof closed when the weather, by Canadian standards, is pretty nice. As in, pretty well all Canadians would rather be outside than inside.
Maybe, when surveying all those empty seats inside the Rogers Centre, Paul Godfrey and the rest of the Jays brass should be reminded that the whole point of a retractable-roof stadium is that, during the baseball season, it really should be open most of the time. Fans want an open-air experience. And it does get really clammy in there with the dome closed. And, does anyone notice that any baseball ambience is exterminated when the roof isn't open?
If there is a policy on when the dome is closed and when it's opened, it needs to be rewritten. I would much rather wear a jacket on a spring evening in the outdoors than be cooped up indoors. Really, the policy should be rewritten that the dome should be closed only as an option when rain is threatening or when the mercury drops to a level what Canadian people (and I am talking about us hardy Canadians, not people from the south who wear jackets when it's 20 C outside) would call "cold." In Toronto's climate, that dome should be open at least 75 per cent of the time.
After all, Toronto FC fans have an outdoor stadium, and the seats don't empty on cool nights, or when it rains. Torontonians aren't the spoiled pussies that the Jays think we are.

OK, I am stuck in a cab, in heavy traffic. I left work an hour before the start of Wednesday's D.C. United/TFC tilt at BMO.
Traffic is absolute hell on Lake Shore Boulevard, and, 10 minutes before the game is set to kick off, the cab is only inching past Spadina, nowhere close to the Princes' Gates.
It is at that point where a group of three girls knock frantically at the window. They are soaking from the rain. They are walking to the Kanye West show at the Molson Amphiteatre, but they want to abandon that plan because, well, a long walk on the Lake Shore in the rain may seem like a good a idea at the time, but... Being the nice guy I am — and feeling generally sorry for these kids (I may be showing my age by calling them "kids." They talk about spending too much time drinking before making their attempt to walk to the Amphitheatre, so who knows?) I agree to help them out. They could tag along to BMO Field and walk from there.
So, with three girls in tow, all aghast at the fact they'd already missed opener Lupe Fiasco (numerous cell phone calls to friends gives them the skinny on that) the cab finally arrives at BMO Field well after the scheduled kick-off time. As I get out of the cab, there is a roar from the field, and I can tell by looking at the video screen, which is visible from outside the stadium, that Danny Dichio has opened the scoring.
There is a point here. TFC have a few weekday games scheduled this season, and most of them start at 7 p.m. Anyone who has tried to take the crowded 509, 510 or 511 streetcars or use Lake Shore Boulevard during the tail end of rush hour knows that BMO Field is nowhere near as accessible as the Rogers Centre or the Air Canada Centre. And, for people leaving work and having to make it down to the stadium, 7 p.m. is a big ask.
A regular-season game takes less than two hours to play. If TFC had 8 p.m. start times, fans would still be leaving the field before 10 p.m. It makes sense. In Europe, weeknight games regularly start as late as 9 p.m., and the Champions League final started at 10:45 p.m. Moscow time to accommodate Western European prime-time TV. Yes, the Moscow example is pushing it, but the truth is, most European fans would see a 7 p.m. weeknight start time, or even 7:30 p.m., as awfully early for a sporting event such as a soccer match. It's not baseball; there are no such things as four-hour marathon games in our sport, so there's no need to start so early. Going later than 8 p.m. would be a culture shock to most fans, but 8 is a nice number. And very lucky in Chinese culture. I know that because my wife told me.
As it stands, we are getting used to seeing a half-empty BMO Field at 7 p.m. kickoff, simply because it's asking too much of fans who work during the day to manage the terrible traffic around the Exhibition Grounds —either on transit or by car.
By the way, Dichio's early effort was the only goal of the game. TFC, undefeated in six.

Had an expensive weekend? Want to save some dough this week? Look no further than your television and let the good times roll.

Side-Note: I was in Pittsburgh for Game 5 this past weekend, and I have to say, I’m super impressed by the city. The ‘dirty’ connotation that’s out there is completely un-fair. It’s clean, friendly, and dirt-cheap! The beer and foods cheap, and you can golf quality courses for a fraction of the price of the GTA. And if you’re a sports fan, I highly recommend checking out a Pirates, Pens, or Steelers game. The fans there are passionate and real – something that lacks in certain sectors in Toronto. So in less than 5hrs in the car from Toronto, you can totally have an amazing time!

Alright, so back to the sports talk. Love the Stanley Cup final match-up. So, let the great debate begin; who do you like - the guile and experience of the Red Wings or the youthful exuberance of the Penguins? These are two great teams, in two great hockey markets. It’s hard not to like Malkin, Crosby and company. They have swagger, and we were debating over pints after the game; how do you stop them?? If there’s one team that can, it’s the Wings. The Penguins are the only team that can match the Wings in terms of talent, but I give the edge to the Wings blue-line. Don’t fret Leafs fans, Hal Gill is still slow, but he’s got a team around him that his deficiencies can be masked. I also love the Lidstrom side-story in the series. If Detroit wins the cup, they’d be the first team to do so with a European Captain. This sort of honour would be fitting for a class guy like Lidstrom. The series should be simply dynamite – but the bad news is you’ll have to wait until Saturday for it all to begin.

On the hoops side, the basketball gods must hate us all, as the boring San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western conference final – they’ll be taking on Kobe and the Lakers. I’ve never said this before, but Go Lakers Go, for the sake of our viewing pleasure. However, I’m thinking the Spurs are just too tough to be stopped. Boring is also another word for efficient, and no team gets it done when push comes to shove quite like the Spurs. Just ask Chris Paul. Meanwhile, over in the east, the well-rested Detroit Pistons are taking on the Boston Celtics. The Pistons, just like the Spurs, are big-game players. This, along with the fact the Celts have gone 7 games in both their series, I’m thinking the ratings killing Spurs/Pistons Finals are on the horizon! BRUTAL!

And more immediately, Wednesday’s all about the Champions League final - Manchester United and Chelsea, competing for club football’s biggest prize. Forget about all the security concerns, the true story will be made on the field, where either Chelsea will win there first ever Champions League, or Man U will win their first since 1999. Give the edge to United in this one – I don’t think Chelsea’s defence can contain the three-headed monster of Tevez/Rooney/Ronaldo. For more on this game, check out my weekly soccer column by following the link attached.

click here

Also, I won’t be “in the Grill” tomorrow night – I’ll be at the Manchester United supporters club getting pissed and watching the game!!

Cheers,
gw

gareth.wheeler@suntv.canoe.ca

OK. You go into the coach's conference room after a dire 0-0 draw between Columbus and Toronto FC. You expect to struggle to find material. Instead, you get a goldmine.
To say that TFC coach John Carver was angry would be an understatement. He was furious over what he sees as hypocrisy from the MLS and its officiating crews. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus' Argentine Designated-Player star, put on a display of diving to put the real greats of diving — think Filippo Inzaghi and Juergen Klinsmann — to shame. He charged down a linesmen to complain about not getting a call. Finally, with his body of work completed after the fifth pratfall, referee Kevin Stott carded him.
Meanwhile, Carver got into a shouting match with officials at halftime. He claimed they raised voices after he had a simple discussion with the fourth official — and he lays blame at the league, which he said sent a DVD of his behaviour in Toronto FC's draw with the New York Red Bulls to every MLS ref. He said, now, every ref will have it in for him, because the league has put it in their heads that he's a malcontent.
"Apparently, they don't want that in the MLS," said Carver. "They don't want passionate people. They don't want people who wear their hearts on their sleeves."
Later, he had a message for the MLS bosses.
"I'm not gonna let them win, that's for sure."
And Carver had plenty to say about Schelotto. Here are some choice bits:
"If that's the way he wants to play the game, get me back to England."
"It was like the wind was too strong for him."
"They (Columbus) came to spoil the game."
Columbus coach Sigi Schmid rolled his eyes when he heard about Carver's rant (and it should be noted that Carver said he has a lot of respect for Schmid and the rest of the Crew).
Schmid said he and Schelotto would "deal with it." Whatever that means. But a good coach always protects his players, even when they're in the wrong.
It will be interesting to see how the MLS reacts to Carver ranting about "DVD No. 6" to the media here in the city.

Okay, this is something that I must get off my chest. THE LEAFS CAN WIN THE CUP WITH A GM AND PRESIDENT NOT NAMED BRIAN BURKE!

Sorry for yelling, but I feel like it's something that had to be done.

The reports after Nonis' meeting with MLSE and the "search committee" of them thinking of offering him an assitant type role in management makes me sick to my stomach. It just shows the massive ego that this company has.

Instead of realizing that they can't take a Ken Holland out of Detroit or a Doug Wilson out of San Jose they go into "there's always next year" mode. How about going into the "doing things right for a change" mode MLSE. None of the final four teams left in the playoffs will be offering up their managerial staff so that excuse is out the window. This talk by Peddie that getting a GM in place before the Entry Draft or start of Free Agency isn't a big concern for them raises a massive warning flag already.

Now, since it seems like they are dead set on bringing in a big name, the only one that will be available is Brian Burke after next season. They can actually "wait" for Burke by doing two simple steps. So MLSE, takes notes, because I'll only say this once.

You hire someone who's available NOW like Dave Nonis, Colin Campbell, Doug Armstrong, etc. as the GM. You let them come in and build up their own staff. You name Cliff Fletcher as President. After next season wraps up you offer the President position to Brian Burke. Thus letting Fletcher either retire or give him an "advisor" or "consultant" role.

However, as I stated at the begining of this lovely blog, Burke is not the only man in the NHL capable of helping build a Stanley Cup contender and I personally would move on. I would by hiring Dave Nonis as the GM and bringing in Bob Nicholson as President.

I'm not trying to say I'm some managerial genius, but this whole Brian Burke and MLSE thing has gone on for way too long. It's time for MLSE to wake up, smell the silver polish and move on!

By the way, I'll be heading to my hometown of Kitchener this weekend to catch a few Memorial Cup games. You'll be able to read my thoughts and experiences Monday evening.



Take off,
Coco

When my buddy and radio co-host (‘Hardcore Speculation’ Tuesday nights, 8-9pm … shameless plug is now over) Dave Golokhov wrote his list of the top ten worst sports franchises I couldn’t wait to see where he stuck the New York Knicks. Well to my surprise/horror the team that Isiah destroyed was no where to be seen. So instead of writing something different and original I decided to come out with the correct list of the Ten Worst Franchises in Pro Sports.

Please feel free to write in and agree with me.


#10 Colorado Rockies
Ten Year Record: 731 Wins - 869 Losses

The Facts:
-All right I know I may get killed for this but really last season the team caught lightening in a bottle. But remember they managed to get out of the National League. That’s the equivalent of winning employee of the month … as the night manager for Arby’s.
-2007 was the first time Colorado made the playoffs in the last 10 years.
-Only one other winning season. (82-80 in 2000)
-Little known fact: Buddy Bell has managed two of the teams on this list, the Rockies and the Royals. With a career coaching record of 519 – 724 I think it’s a safe bet he ain’t .500 anytime soon. Come on Washington Nationals, you know what you have to do!


#9 Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals
Ten Year Record: 700 Wins - 900 Losses

The Facts:
-They were booted/forced out of Montreal, never a highlight reel moment for a franchise.
-It didn’t matter what city they were in, this team has never been able to draw fans over the last ten years.
-They’ve gone to the playoffs the same amount of times as the Royals.
-The team(s) has had 2 winning seasons and both times it was a meager 83-79 record.


#8 Phoenix Coyotes:
Ten Year Record: I think Gary Bettman is adding another column to the win side called extra special wins just to mess with every newspaper standings board.

The Facts:
-Phoenix hasn't made it out of the 1st round the playoffs over the past 10 years.
-The Coyotes haven’t even made the playoffs since 2001, even the Leafs have been to the postseason more than that.
-The only reason there is a team in Phoenix is to give aging hockey players a place to play in their golden years. Mike Gartner, Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick and Sean Burke all chose the Coyotes as the perfect retirement destination.


#7 Chicago Bulls
Ten Year Record: 289 Wins - 499 Losses

The Facts:
-Yes they have had some success over the past four seasons but they could have been so much better. Remember this is the same team that refused to make a deal for Kobe or Pau Gasol last year because they did not want to part with Luol Deng. How has that worked out for them? I'm sure Kobe couldn't have helped this team in the East!
-They got rid of Tyson Chandler and elected to take on the dead weight contract and just plain dead weight known as Ben Wallace.
-More Bad Karma: This past off season Luol Deng and Ben Gordon both turned down long term contracts worth $50 million and both wilted under the pressure of the impending Kobe Bryant trade.
-Yes they made three trips to the playoffs but they got beyond the first round only once.
-Ten years ago marked the first year of Jordan's final retirement from the Bulls. I think some people forget just how bad those early Post-Jordan teams were. From 1999 to 2003 they averaged 60 losses. Read that sentence again ... 60 losses was the average!


#6 Florida Panthers
Ten Year Record: This league has gone from ties to overtime losses to Shoot-Out losses to ... well quite frankly I have no real idea how the standings in the NHL works so I refuse to add it up. Trust me it ain't a pretty record.

The Facts:
-Florida managed to make the playoffs only once in the past ten years. This isn't major league baseball, doesn't everyone qualify for the playoffs in the NHL?
-When you trade Roberto Luongo for Todd Bertuzzi you are bound to make this list.
-There are almost no panthers left in Florida due to urban expansion. There is more Jazz in Utah than panthers in Florida
-The only positive for Florida in the past ten years was the individual brilliance of Pavel Bure.
-The most fight we have seen out of this team was Mike Keenan vs. GM Rick Dudley.


#5 Kansas City Royals:
Ten Year Record: 650 Wins - 950 Losses

The Facts:
-Really do I need to say anything else? How do you lose 300 more games then you win over a ten year span?
-The only reason they aren’t #2 on the list is the higher degree of difficulty of making the playoffs in baseball and the lack of a salary cap doesn’t normally allow teams like the Royals to compete on a consistent basis.
-The team has one winning season (83-79 in 2003) but followed that up by going 62-100 the following year.
-In a five year stretch they lost a 100 or more games.
-Ten years, 5 managers.
-Maybe the dumbest thing this team ever did was refuse to go to the National League in 1997 as part of MLB’s expansion/re-location plans.


#4 Detroit Lions
Ten Year Record: 53 Wins - 107 Losses

The Facts:
-How does Matt Millen still have a job? He is one sexual assault case and bankrupting the Arena League from being the NFL's version of Isiah Thomas.
-How do you lose twice as many games as you win in the NFL? The league has a salary cap, the Lions drafted high every year and got to play the easiest of schedules. The entire league is based on parity. They practically make it impossible to lose on such a level, yet somehow they manage to do it, year after year.
-The inept coaching train: After Bobby Ross resigns during the 2000 season the team is left in the less then capable hands of Gary Moeller. This is followed by Marty Mornhinwig who was over matched and finally Steve Marrucci whose career record just got destroyed during his short tenure. If I’m Rod Marinelli I wouldn’t invest in the Detroit real estate market. Just a thought.
-A quick note to anyone who says you don't need a top flight QB to win in this league ... Here are the quarterbacks who started the majority of Lions games over the past 10 years: Charlie Batch, Mike McMahon, Joey Harrington and Jon "10 wins" Kitna.
-Only one winning season in the past ten years.
-Only one trip to the playoffs and that ended in a 28-13 loss to Washington.
-Ten years ago marked the final season for the greatest running back not named Jim Brown or Sweetness ... Barry Sanders. Only Michael Vick ever came close to the level of excitement Sanders brought to the field.


#3 Arizona Cardinals
Ten Year Record: 58 Wins - 102 Losses

The Facts:
-Forget just these past ten years; the Cardinals have only been to the playoffs once since the mid 1940's. So if you are keeping score at home; Arizona has been to the playoffs once since the original Axis of Evil, the Nazi's, were trying to take over Europe.
-How sad is it when the most memorable moment of this franchise over the past ten years is Dennis Green freaking out after losing to the Bears on Monday Night Football.
-'Dancing With the Stars' contestant, Emmitt Smith, finished his career here. Just a sad note in NFL history.
-Memorable 1st round picks: Buckle up for this one!
Andre Wadsworth (Injuries and a lengthy contract holdout destroyed his career)
David Boston (One great year, now fighting for a starting spot with the Argonauts)
L.J. Shelton (Bad)
Thomas Jones (Stunk with the Cards great with the Bears)
Leonard Davis (Again stunk with the Cards now is a good player with the Cowboys)
Wendell Bryant (Holy Lord was he bad!)
Calvin Pace (No longer with the team)


#2 Cincinnati Bengals
Ten Year Record: 61 Wins - 99 Losses

The Facts:
-In the last ten years Cincinnati has had only one winning season, 2005. Of course they got killed at home in the playoffs to the hated Steelers and lost Carson Palmer to injury in that same game.
-Not since the mid 1990 Dallas Cowboys has one team had so many criminals on their roster. The only difference was Dallas' criminal were, you know, good.
-You know it has been a bad decade when Marvin Lewis is the best coach the Bengals has had over the past 10 years. I think we are all in agreement that only the good people of FEMA would have done a worse job than Bruce Coslet and Dick LeBeau did as head coaches in Cincinnati.
-Memorable 1st round picks: Akili Smith, Peter Warrick and David Pollock.


#1 New York Knicks
Ten Year Record: 343 Wins - 445 Losses

The Facts:
-The easiest choice to make of the ten teams. How could this team not be #1. They’re the ‘Godfather’ of sports failure.
-Isiah Thomas destroyed this team and hurt the entire league with his mismanagement of the team, his off court issues and generally his smarmy presence. I know that as a Knicks fan it will be a long time before all the wounds are healed.
-The trade for Eddy Curry meant for Brandon Roy and Joakim Noah on the team.
-Here are some of my favourite salaries (Yes I know I missed several glaring ones)
Quentin Richardson ... 2008 Salary: $8.1 Million
Jerome James …2008 Salary: $5.8 million
Jared Jefferies … 2008 Salary: $5.6 million
Shandon Anderson made $6.1 million in 2002.
Howard Eisley, yes the Howard Eisley, made $5.3 million in 2002.
-Hard to believe that it was ten years ago that Camby, Houston and Sprewell took this team to the finals.

I went to a Jays-Tampa Bay game last week at Rogers Centre and, while I was expecting to see a lot of empty seats, I wasn't prepared for my family and I to basically have a row by myself.
When it comes to baseball, Jays fans are a fickle bunch and, the way this team is playing, my guess is that the crowds will continue to dwindle, save for when the Red Sox or Yankees are in town.
The Jays used to have the luxury if being pretty well the only big-league summer sports attraction in town. But, with Toronto FC mania in its second season, the Jays, if they continue to play not only bad baseball, but boring baseball, will find that they will slide further back in relevance than they've ever been before.
It's hard to love this Jays team. Not because it's not very good (at the start of the season, I picked the Jays to finish fourth in the East. I might have been optimistic), but because there are no real characters on this club. It's hard to love a team that wears ridiculous black jerseys, basing their look on a black-jersey fad that died out a decade ago. It's hard to love a team that replaced BJ Birdie with a more sleek, less loveable mascot. Yes BJ, I got your back.
For an older Jays fan — as in over 30 — this team gives me precious little to make me think that this is the same franchise I used to live and die with in the '80s and early '90s. We have fabricated rivalries with the Yankees and Red Sox, not like the real we-hate-them-as-much-as-they-hate-us series we used to have with the Tigers. Remember, back in the heyday of the Jays, you would be willing to sell an entire series of Sox or Yankees tickets just to see the Tigers once.
We have a sterile team that acts almost embarrassed about its World Series-winning history, playing in a sterile environment. Meanwhile, just down Lake Shore Boulevard, we have another summer major pro team that's offering the best environment for any sports fan in the city. And, as of this moment, there's no question that TFC is offering far more on-field entertainment than the Blue Jays, too.
Sooner or later, the Rogers people are going to need to not only radically remake its ball team, but really work to reconnect with fans, especially the ones who remember Jesse Barfield's arm in right, the old Errrr-neeee, Errrrr-neeee chants and shaking every time Joey McLaughlin came onto the mound.

So JP Ricciardi is done making moves – he says this is the team he’ll sink or swim with. In fairness, aside from adding a Barry Bonds (which by all accounts just isn’t going to happen) or making a trade of some kind of significance, there really is very little else he can do. Now I’m not one of those guys who are saying the sky is falling, but there are definitely storm clouds over head.

Keeping the sky a little clearer has been the pitching staff. They’ve been good – really good!
They’re statistically in the top 5 in baseball, and barring a major injury, I’m looking at you Roy and AJ, they should be fine!

So the pitching’s good, and the not-so good’s obviously the hitting. It’s been beyond atrocious – it’s been embarrassing. Before the 10th inning Monday night, they went 31 innings without scoring a run! How does that happen? And the lack of hitting isn’t anything new this year.

And JP’s solution to the woes was to cut Frank Thomas and add Kevin Mench and Brad Wilkerson. Thomas hasn’t been lighting it up, but has been decent on a very good Oakland ball-club. As for JP’s additions, they’re guys he was drooling over and wanted to acquire years ago. Since then, they’ve become major disappointments. So much for scouting!

The fact they’re taking rosters spots from guys billed to be up-and-comers within the organization is disturbing. Take Adam Lind for example. The Jays called him up a couple weeks back, only to give him a measly 19 at-bats. Lind struggled and was sent down, almost as fast as he was called up! Way to give the kid a chance! He needs time!

Just like the Boston Red Sox gave Dustin Pedroia time last season. After the first month, Pedroia was hitting .172. The Red Sox didn’t panic, they were patient and their patience paid off. Pedroia ended up hitting .304, was named Rookie of the Year and helped the Red Sox to a World Series Championship! Compare that to what the Jays did with Lind? He struggles, they send him to Syracuse. Do you think the Jays trust their prospects? They did the same with Dustin McGowan. Fortunately enough for them, McGowan’s panned out, but that’s after he was completely out of options.

The best ball clubs out there need to rely on their minor league systems to step in and play significant roles when needed. Whether it’s a problem with developing prospects or in the scouting getting the right players in the organization, the Jays seem a step behind.

The key word right there is ‘seem’. How do we truly know how good they can be when they don’t give the kids a fair shot? So maybe the fact JP says he’s done making moves is a blessing in disguise. Maybe a solution or two is just a phone call away down in Syracuse – but we may never know.

First, shout out to my boys for a quality trip to Montreal this weekend - good times had by all!

Second, massive respect to Manchester United, capping off an impressive Premiership campaign with a nice win and another championship! The difference this season - Carlos Tevez. While Cristiano Ronaldo gets all the acclaim (and deservedly so), Tevez went about his business, coming in and out of the starting line-up, but always producing! He scored some massive late goals, that with them, Man U wouldn't be where the ended up. He's class through-and-though. Onwards to Moscow.

Third, I want to give it up for my boy Sandor. His soccer coverage is honest, knowledgeable and straight to the point.

Finally, I've got a new soccer column of my own. Every Monday in the Toronto Sun, I'll be giving you the low-down what's going on soccer-wise in Toronto and beyond. Attached is a link to Monday's column. Enjoy!

'England has a Blatter Problem' - Click here.

As always, your thoughts, opinions, and comments are always appreciated.

Thanks for watching and reading,

Gareth Wheeler
gareth.wheeler@suntv.canoe.ca

Even a hardcore soccer fan can be forgiven for missing the fact that Canada played Argentina in an U-20 friendly at BMO Field over the weekend.
Trust the marketing wizards over at the Canadian Soccer Association to transform a game that features the world's best youth program — Argentina — into a non-event. Entire sections of BMO Field were empty for the game, which finished in a draw, a surprisingly good result for the Canadians.
The game wasn't promoted at all, and for those who knew the game was coming, the absolutely ridiculous price point for tickets, with many of the good seats breaking the $50-per-seat mark, kept them away. After all, the game was an exhibition and, judging by the lack of interest in previous Canadian friendlies at BMO Field, the CSA should realize that slashing prices in order to get young fans' bums into the seats is more important than a cash grab.
It's not a question of whether BMO Field or Toronto itself is a good fit for the national soccer program over Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton or Swangard Stadium in suburban Vancouver; this mix of overpriced tickets and piss-poor promotion would have killed this game in even the most ardent of soccer markets.
You would think the CSA would learn after years of failing to promote national-team games across the country; but there's an arrogance there, a feeling that if you schedule it, they will come — and to do it, fans will pay more than it would cost to see the Jays play the Yankees or Red Sox.
If the national soccer program wants to have even a fraction of the following of TFC in this city, it needs to start actually putting together a promotion plan. Until then, the CSA can only blame the red ink and empty seats on its own arrogance.

Man it was cold, blustery, night. I'm not going to spend too much time on how, despite the crap weather and rush-hour traffic, that the stadium was just a few hundred seats shy of being full. By now, we all know that TFC's fans are the best of any in the city.
It was a scrappy game and the draw was a fair result. TFC is still undefeated at home, and 10 points out of its first six games is a definite positive.
Remember, last season, fans would have been overjoyed with a 1-1 home draw against the Red Bulls.
"The fact that I'm disappointed shows how far we've come," said coach John Carver after the game.

22nd min. Sometimes, guile is more important than skill. Toronto opens the scoring thanks to the quick thinking of Laurent Robert. After TFC win a free kick on the left channel outside the box, Robert sends in a cross while New York's players are still trying to figure out who is marking who. Marco Velez, the maligned centre back, stands alone in the box, and heads in an easy goal. Looks like practice.
38th min. Dave Van den Bergh's equalizer, also on a free kick, a skidding shot that accelerates on the FieldTurf and into the corner of the goal past an outstretched Greg Sutton. With the combination of cold, and moisture out there, the turf is playing exceptionally fast tonight. That's the first goal TFC have given up at home this season.
45 min. The first half was scrappy, sort of what you'd expect if you were watching two relegation-threatened team battle in the Premiership. Has the feel of a Wigan-Reading game. The fact that both goals came off set pieces isn't a surprise. Really, there has been very little attacking flow in this game. There hasn't been a shot in open play worth mentioning.
49 min. Four minutes into the second half, and things get a little nasty. Remember, last season, these two teams had an incident in the BMO Field tunnel after the game. Jozy Altidore, the teenage Red Bulls star, barges over Robert. The famous Robert temper materializes, and he responds by shoving Altidore to the ground. The two teams converge. Robert gets a yellow.
51 min. Wheels is sitting next to me, and has just come into the press box from the cold. He says it's real cold out there. Think about that, and then remember that Toronto could host CONCACAF Champions League games. If it qualifies, Toronto could have home games in the late autumn, or even the winter. Oh, U-Sector will be having so much fun when its -10 and the wind whips in off the lake.
64 min. Rain is coming down hard. More like sleet. Robert whips in a hopeful free kick from 30 yards out, hoping the skidding the ball will take on the turf will fool people.
73 min. Of course, the scoreboard has to flash an image of a shirtless fan in the cold. Yeah, we all get it. It's cold. You're not wearing a shirt, and you look like you could breastfeed twins. Ugh. I think all cameramen should be fined every time they take footage of shirtless fat dudes in the cold.
81 min. A fan runs on the field in front of a disgusted Altidore. He makes it all the way into the centre circle, sliding on to the turf, before any security guards make their way onto the field.
87 min: Announced attenced is 19,816, short of a sellout. We know all the tickets are gone so the rain and cold must have kept some season-ticket holders at home. Or maybe they went to see the Verve next door at Ricoh Coliseum. I still like the "A Northern Soul" album.