This week on 15 Minutes of Fame – lots of overtime and lots of fighting to kick off the NHL playoffs, the Oilers win the draft lottery & discuss the future of their coach, the Maple Leafs apologize and a number of top players head to the World Championships. Also – the head of the MLB players union talks steroids and the Hall of Fame.
In the GABBYs: Martin Brodeur, Thierry Henry, the NFL, Lamar Odom, Lingerie Football and Dwyane Wade. The Punchline this week involves Augusta and an attempted cup of sand!
Team Canada is back in the final of the Women’s World Hockey Championship. Friday afternoon in Burlington, Vermont, Meghan Agosta, Laura Fortino and Marie-Philip Poulin each scored a goal and an assist as Canada beat Finland 5-1 in the semi-final game.
Agosta, was a huge force on the Canadian side, notching nine shots on goal. Canada’s opponent tonight is once again the United States, who hammered Switzerland 10-0 in the other semi-final. The game can be seen live on TSN at 5pm.
Here are the other events I’ll be watching this weekend:
Saturday–NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game 2–Washington Capitals @ Boston Bruins–NBC–1pm–The Capitals lost game 1 despite a brilliant goaltending performance by Braden Holtby. The Bruins meanwhile got a stingy defensive effort Thursday night as they only allowed 17 Washington shots in 61:18 of action. The Capitals simply won’t win many games in the series if Alexander Ovechkin only gets one shot. The Capitals sniper did record seven hits, but needs to find the offensive side of his game again. Tim Thomas is the only goaltender in the playoffs so far to get a shutout.
Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen has been suspended five games for expressing his somewhat controversial political opinions.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Guillen said he loves Castro and respects him for staying in power as long as he has. Guillen also made controversial comments seven years ago while as a manager of the Chicago White Sox when he praised Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Sports and politics do not mix. Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was criticized for deciding not to attend the White House a couple of months ago because of his political beliefs?
Granted, Castro and Chavez are dictators who have had controversial political backgrounds and have angered many people over the years, but many world leaders continue to speak with Castro and have rather positive conversations in nature. For example, Castro spoke recently with Pope Benedict.
Guillen probably went over the line here however and learned the hard way that Baseball executives don’t support their employees mixing sports and politics. What do you think? Did Guillen go to far or should he have not been suspended for freedom of speech?
This week on the show we start out with the topic that’s on everyone’s mind – the feud between the Pittsburgh Penguins & the Philadelphia Flyers (and to a lesser extent, the Pens & the Rangers). We also look at a couple of fines handed down to coaches this week (including Edmonton’s Tom Renney) and we run down the upcoming match-ups in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
In the GABBYs: Mike Smith, Ray Whitney, Joey Votto, Alistair Overeem, the Orlando Magic & fans of the University of Kentucky. The Punchline this week is the Baltimore Orioles!
Heading into the 2012 Major League Baseball season, I like a lot of the same contenders as last season.
In the American League, expect the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox to fight for the American League East, the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central, with the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers to battle it out in the American League West. With the extra wildcard spot available, don’t be surprised if the Tampa Bay Rays are once again in contention as well.
In the National League, you have to like the pitching staffs in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Atlanta and San Francisco. But there is a fifth pitching staff I am very intrigue by. I think it is time that the Washington Nationals (sorry Expos fans) will break through and join the postseason party.
The Masters will obviously headline my television viewing this weekend with the very first major of the PGA Season. Currently Peter Hanson of Sweden (-5) leads U.S. Open Champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, Ben Crane of the United States and day one leader Lee Westwood of England by a stroke.
Other players in contention are Major winners Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk and Paul Lawrie.
The television coverage for the tournament is Friday at 1pm on TSN, Saturday at 1:30pm on CBS, and Sunday at noon on CBS.
Here are the other events I’ll be watching this weekend:
Friday–NLL–Rochester Knighthawks @ Calgary Roughnecks–7pm–I’m heading down to the Scotiabank Saddledome this evening to see the Roughnecks in National Lacrosse League action. At 10-3, the Roughnecks are tied for first place in the West Division with the Colorado Mammoth. The Roughnecks lead the NLL with 180 goals scored, are led by former Knighthawk Shawn Evans, who leads the team in scoring with 58 points.
The Toronto Blue Jays are in the record books on Thursday after winning the longest opening day game in Major League Baseball history.
Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion hit a key one out two-run double off the top of the wall in the ninth inning and catcher J.P. Arencibia hit a three run home run in the 16th inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Indians 7-4.
The numbers for Joey Votto’s contract yesterday with the Cincinnati Reds are absolutely staggering:
–12 years, $251 million
–the contract will be over in 2024
–it is the third largest contract in Major League Baseball history
–Votto could be the richest Canadian athlete on the planet
–the deal will end when Votto is 41 years of age
–he will receive $25 million a season for each year from 2018-2023
What do you think? Is Joey Votto worth it? Should the Cincinnati Reds offered Votto a shorter deal so it frees up some space to improve their pitching staff? Are the Reds moving in the same short term direction as the Texas Rangers when they signed all-star shortstop Alex Rodriguez to the richest deal in Major League Baseball history over a decade ago and then realized they needed money to spend on other positions to be a serious contender in the American League?
Votto is the best Canadian baseball player at the moment, but is he worth $251 million. The answer is simply no.
This week on 15MOF we discuss the latest news surrounding Oilers forward Taylor Hall, as well as another story that has left the team a bit red in the face. Also on the show – we discuss whether the Toronto Maple Leafs will be the next NHL team to fire a GM and we look at the latest “bounty” news from the NFL.
In the GABBYs: the Norfolk Admirals, Jamie Moyer, Sidney Crosby, Colin Clark, Reebok & March Madness. The Punchline this week is Beach Volleyball!
This week the Oakland Athletics played the Seattle Mariners in Japan to begin the 2012 Major League Baseball regular season.
The teams split the series, with Seattle winning 3-1 on Wednesday and Oakland winning 4-1 on Thursday. But with there being no television coverage on the national stage and only coverage within the Seattle and Oakland television markets, only the avid sports fan, like those in a fantasy baseball pool, would have realized it.
If you are going to begin your season Mr. Selig, outside the United States in a two game series in a baseball savvy place such as Japan, you would think the rest of the continent would care too?
Apparently not. Which is too bad. If the Yankees played the Red Sox in the first two games of the season, the series would have been a much more monumental story. But they didn’t. Baseball’s number one problem is they have a hierarchical status when it comes to promoting the game. As long as the Yankees and Red Sox continue to lead, and the Cubs continue to lose, those in charge of MLB think the sport is healthy, when it actuality it is far from it.
This week on the show we’re discussing the latest big suspension from the NHL and some of the major playoff races – who’s in and who’s out? Meanwhile, in the NFL, the league comes down hard on the New Orleans Saints over the team’s bounty program and the Denver Broncos win the Peyton Manning sweepstakes!
In the GABBYs: Kevin Love, Leo Messi, Fernando Torres, Ben Eager, Wayne Rooney and Joba Chamberlain. The Punchline this week is a Tim Tebow inspired drink!
This week on 15MOF: Sidney Crosby makes his long awaited return to action, Taylor Hall gets belted against the Flames and a couple of Oilers should be up for trophies this off season. As well: a handful of early “March Madness” upsets!
In the GABBYs: Teemu Selanne, Steven Stamkos, Ilya Bryzgalov, soccer fights, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and Adriano. The Punchline this week is the Orlando Predators!
This week on 15 Minutes of Fame we’re discussing Marty Turco’s return to the NHL, the end of the line for Sean Avery, the latest on Sidney Crosby and a couple of interesting concussion notes from around the league. As well: Peyton Manning is no longer a Colt, so where will he end up?
In the GABBYs: Leo Messi, Hiroshi Hoketsu, David Beckham, Nicklas Grossmann, Fernando Torres and Jose Canseco. The Punchline this week is David Price and David Robertson!
This week on 15 Minutes of Fame we look at the reasons behind the Toronto Maple Leafs firing their coach, an idea that would make the final month of the NHL season more interesting for non-playoff teams, the “expanded” MLB playoffs and Ryan Braun’s overturned doping case.
In the GABBYs: Bat boys, the LA Clippers, Brad Keselowski, Danica Patrick, Tiger Woods/Peyton Hillis and the New Orleans Saints. The Punchline this week is USA Yoga!
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