Wanna Bet (Pro-line Picks) (Record NHL 29-23 NBA 24-11Overall 53-34)

by Louis “King of Roncesvalles” Pisano…

Too bad I got off this gambling stuff, I think it must be the post NFL season blues that kinda got me in this funk, and we’ve got March Madness coming up so let get in some warm up gambling, and I feel it’s been way too long since I’ve just been able to spew out an opinion on some shit.

So let’s try and find a few picks out there to make some money on! There’s a whack of games on the docket tonight, and damn it I could use some cash for this weekend’s beer drinking binge since, I nor anyone else won that massive 649 Jackpot last night, so why not scoop some of it from the bastards who always seem to be taking it from us, namely the Government! There’s NCAA b-ball going down and quite a number of NHL games to choose from as well.

The first game catching my eye in the NCAA is this Xavier Musketeers (favoured on the road by 6.5)playing the Charlotte 49ers, X-men are 21-4 and Charlotte is a weak 9-15, if this isn’t enough to take the X-men by 6 well here’s a couple quick stats for the hell of it. Xavier is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS all time, they are 7-3 ATS on the road this year, also the X-men average 5 points more per game and give up 8 points less than the 49ers. Bet tracker has 89% of their money on the X-men (-6.5), I’m Taken Xavier to win by 6 for the 1.50.

The Wisconsin Badgers (16-9) visit the Indiana Hoosiers (6-18) and again their records reflect what the outcome of the game should be. The Badgers have the 19th ranked overall defence in the NCAA, and Indiana sure ain’t no scoring machine, ranked 302 overall on offence. Bet tracker has 73% of their money on them (-10) I’m going to take the battling Badgers to win by 6 for 1.40.

Let’s slip a couple quick hockey games in now and then make our way to the corner store and get that ticket done, then hopefully it’s just going through the motions tonight, before the chocko sendo of the loot tomorrow!

The Buffalo Sabres are limping into Philly tonight, and the Flyers have been red hot at home as of late 10-3. No Vanek  no scoring bye bye Buffalo. I’ll take a shot with Philly for 1.55 at home.

NJ has been on fire and yet lost to the Panthers Tuesday, I just can’t see them losing to the other Florida team, the uh lifeless lightening, not happening! TB sucks yeah they won a couple games as of late beating Toronto and NYI big whoop! Taking NJ for 1.45.

Now you may be saying to yourself yeah big deal you picked the favourites and the value isn’t really there, yeah well you’re right and I am going to drop a quick 20 bucks on them and that’ll pay me 94.40, little beer money for the weekend, not trying to break the bank just squeeze a little blood from the big cheese.

Ship it send it chalk it and lock it, from the King of Roncesvalles to your sports books good luck boys! All the best!

Sports: It’s All About the Money

by Jordan Bishop…

Sports are no doubt my favorite thing in this world, but if I got a chance to change a few things about them, would I? Absolutely.

Here’s my biggest beef about sports: the salaries. Professional clubs dish out massive amounts of money to create a competitive team that has a chance to win it all. But is this outlandish spending really in order?

When the Los Angeles Galaxy signed David Beckham in January 2007, they agreed to pay him $250 million over 5 years, just under $1 million a week. Considering there are only 30 games in the MLS regular season, Becks is making just under $2 million per game.  On the other hand, in the National Lacrosse League, the absolute maximum a player can make is $25,553 (excluding bonuses). Over a 16-game season, the elite lacrosse players make about $1600 per game. This number is just enough to stay above the poverty line for a single person in Canada. Because of this, an overwhelming majority of NLL players carry second jobs as well, such as carpenters, electricians and police officers. Beckham isn’t the only one to jump into such a huge contract, however. Alex Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $275 million contract in December of last year, making him the highest-paid player in professional baseball. This also means he earns more than the entire Florida Marlins squad. If I had $28 million to spend on a baseball team, I’ll take an entire team of 33 players before one “superstar” any day, but that’s just me.

I’d just like to know what authenticates these outrageous salaries. Is it just because the fans accept rising ticket prices to see their overpaid athletes underachieve? Or am I too old-fashioned, and $2 million for 90 minutes of soccer is acceptable nowadays?

Whatever it is, I don’t buy it. And the fact that professional athletes still find something to complain about is the cherry on top. They aren’t happy with the personnel, or the other players, or their salary, or they are flat out just unhappy. General managers will have to start including “approval pay” on the hefty checks they’re dealing out on the 1st and 15th, just to be sure their top-tier athletes are catered to their liking. Would I be complaining if a few zeroes were added onto the end of my checks? Of course not.

These athletes have been pampered so much that they don’t even know how to deal with controversy or hardship anymore, if you can even call it that. Competition needs to be revived, where athletes play every game as if it’s their last, and know the GM will be knocking off dollars if they aren’t on their game. No more of this sign a 6-year contract so you can take it easy for five; sports were created to evoke competition. Sure, making a living playing sports isn’t a bad idea, but where did the original reason of sport go? Whatever happened to playing for the love of the game?

The Wright Take: WWE Focusing On Change?

Adam Wright…

Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama isn’t the only one thinking “Change”. In the span of two weeks, the WWE seems to have heard the cries of fans around the world, “WWE, it’s time for Change!” And did they ever deliver.

It all started at the WWE Draft on June 24^th. Most fans excepted a small shake-up, but nothing compared to what was delivered. All three brands, RAW, ECW, and Smackdown saw their rosters shuffled. Rey Mysterio, Batista, CM Punk, and Kofi Kingston all went to RAW.

Smackdown gained Jeff Hardy, Mr Kennedy, and Umaga. Even the broadcast team was switched, sending Michael Cole to RAW and sending Jim Ross to Smackdown.

But the most shocking, the most unexpected move at the Draft was when Smackdown acquired someone who was considered “unmovable” by fans. The WWE Champion himself, TRIPLE H was heading to Friday nights.

At that moment, fans knew change was in the air!

Six nights later at the Pay-Per-View Night of Champions, we saw the continuation of this theme. Three Titles changed hands. But what made those Title changes so significant were the winners.

Mark Henry won his first world title, the ECW Title. Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes were now reigning champions on RAW.

Finally the WWE focused on the younger and new talent. You can feel the shift going on.

But then, the next night, Monday Night RAW came around. After Night of Champions, RAW no longer had a World Champion… but not for long.

In what I would consider one of the most shocking moments in RAW History, out of nowhere, CM Punk cashes in his Money in The Bank briefcase, ensuring him a World Title shot. Thanks to the help of Batista, who worked over World Champion Edge, out came CM Punk, and just like that…. CM PUNK NEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS!

FINALLY, someone new and fresh in the main event picture! After years of Triple H, Edge, Batista, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, and John Cena holding on to gold, FINALLY we get to see…CHANGE!

RAW and ECW now have new World Champions, and on Smackdown we now have a brand new main event feud. How long have we been waiting for Triple H vs. Edge? That match could be of Wrestlemania main event calibre!

It is clear that the WWE is now focused to win back the fans. And for the first time since the “Attitude Era”, I’m feeling like ANYTHING can happen.

Can the WWE deliver change? Yes they can!

Blade Runner Beats the Ban and His Cheetahs are No Longer ‘Cheating’

By: Brady Rynyk…
To see him walking the streets in his native country of South Africa, Oscar Pistorius does not noticeably stand out from most 21 year olds his age.  But it is not so much his charming good looks or gleaming smile that set the young man apart from his peers, but rather an unnatural ability that truly makes him unique.

After all, Oscar Pistorius is the world’s fastest man…on no legs.

Oscar Pistorius currently holds world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m for running in the Paralympics, an accomplishment that has made him Johannesburg’s most recognized public figure.  With the utilization of two J-shaped carbon fibre prosthetic blades called Cheetahs (The Cheetah Flex Foot); this bilateral amputee transforms himself into not only the world’s fastest Para-athlete, but also one of the world’s fastest men.

As of late however, it has not been Oscar’s actions on the racetrack, which have recently propelled the runner into the public spotlight, but rather the powers that be, preventing him from doing so.  After captivating the world’s attention at the 2004 Paralympics, where he competed for the first time, obliterating his fellow competitors and setting a world record in the process, it was Pistorius’ surprising finish in the 2005 South African Championships that caught the world’s attention. After breaking yet another world record in the 400m, Oscar became an international star for the first place accomplishment.  The only difference this time was that the ‘Blade Runner’, as he is commonly referred, was competing solely against able-bodied athletes in his country’s national track and field championships.

But even before the dust could clear, controversy began to surface, and in January of this year, before Oscar even had the opportunity to compete for a spot on his country’s Olympic track team, the running sensation was unfoundedly banned from competition.  The governing body for the Olympic Committee, The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), ruled Pistorius ineligible for any able-bodied competition, and in doing so, outlawed the “use of any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or devices that provide the user with an advantage over other athletes not using such a device.”

Now for the first time in his life, this bilateral amputee has been ridiculously viewed as having a distinct advantage over his able-bodied competitors. Not taking into account any of the disadvantages the runner must endure like, his inability to croutch properly on the starting block (which significantly impedes his start) or his inability to effeciantly negoitate each curvature of the track or handle wet courses due to his limited traction.  Pistorius, whose life long motto has been, “you’re not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have,” decided to fight back for his right to be the first disabled athlete to compete in the Olympics.

With the pro-bono assistance of the law offices of Dewey & Laboeuf, the ‘Blade Runner’ set out to appeal the unjust ruling of the IAAF.  With the help of his lawyer, Sports Attorney Jeffrey Kessler, Pistorius went to Rice University where a world renowned panel of experts in the fields of biomechanics, energetics, and physiology conducted a series of tests on the athlete and his cheetah flex foot running aids.  After the initial series of tests in February, the runner returned again to Texas to undergo yet another analysis regiment from the seven panel members in March.  Due to the enormity of the precedent setting case, Oscar’s lawyer wanted to be certain that the initial findings preformed by the IAAF were not scientifically valid, stating, “this maybe the most important case ever for the rights of disabled athletes.”

Through a series of tests the panel of experts analyzed not only the cheetah flex foot blades, but also their relationship to the actual runner and his own cardiovascular system.  Amongst the members on the panel conducting the study included; Matthew Bundle, a professor at the University of Wyoming from the department of kinesiology & health; Craig McGowen from the University of Texas, and lead authority on muscle, tendon, and joint mechanics; Alena Grabowski, an expert in human locomotion, energetics and biomechanics from MIT; Jean-Benoit Morin from the University of Saint-Etiene (France) who specializes in mechanics and human running performance; Roger Kram from the University of Colorado; team leader Hugh Kerr, a bilateral amputee himself and MIT’s Media lab director in Biomechatronics; and lastly, the Group Director of Research, Peter Weyand, from Rice University.

The elite group of specialists concluded that the scientific results put forth by the IAAF investigation to ban Pistorius were fundamentally flawed and not completely accurate. “While an athlete’s performance in sprints of very short duration is determined almost entirely by mechanical factors, in races of longer duration, such as the 400m, performance depends on both mechanical and metabolic factors,” said Hugh Herr.  The team of experts unanimously concluded that the IAAF allegations towards Oscar Pistorius and his use of prosthetics were not scientifically valid, and the panel refuted their findings with respect to two specific points - the speed-duration relationship and rates of metabolic energy expenditure.
Namely, the scientific panel’s collective consensus was that:
• Pistorius’ ability to maintain speed over the course of longer sprints — his speed-duration relationship — is essentially identical to that of able-bodied runners, indicating that he fatigues in the same manner as able-bodied sprinters.
• Pistorius’ rates of metabolic energy expenditure do not differ from elite non-amputee runners. In particular, he has nearly the same running economy, or rate of oxygen consumption at sub-maximal speeds, and a similar maximal rate of oxygen consumption as elite non-amputee runners.
• Professor Weyand added, “Based on the data collected at Rice, the blades do not confer an enhanced ability to hold speed over a 400m race.” Concluding that, “nor does our research support the IAAF’s claims of how the blades provide some sort of mechanical advantage for sprinting.”
• Professor Kram stated, “The study commissioned by the IAAF claimed that Pistorius has a 25 percent energetic advantage at 400m race speeds. That claim is specious because anaerobic energy supply cannot be quantified.”
Finally after all the studies, tests, research, and preparation, Oscar Pistorius finally had his day in court.  On May 16th, in front of three arbitrators in a Swiss courtroom, the ‘Blade Runner’ was given a chance to present his case. And after a short consultation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the ruling made by the IAAF, which had previously shattered the young star’s Olympic aspirations to represent his country, and the other countless disabled athletes who struggle to find equality. After months of deliberations which seemed to impede Pistorius from achieving his Olympic dream, the world’s fastest man on no legs felt relieved to be back out on the track and training again.  University of Wyoming professor, Matthew Bundle, added, “He wanted to be given a chance, and it is gratifying to know he’ll be given that chance.”

In Emmeloord, Holland, Oscar has just finished competing in his first series of races since the CAS overturned the IAAF ruling at the Dutch Open, where not surprisingly he proved victorious in the 100m, 200m and 400m races. Pistorius’ path to Beijing has official begun with his next set of races against able-bodied runners taking place on July 2nd in Milan, Italy (followed by qualifying races in Rome and Lucerne).   In addition, the South African Athletics Federation announced that they have switched the qualifying deadline from July 11th to July 17th.  The shift will allow the runner to compete in four additional events in Europe in order to bring his 400m time down to 45.55 seconds.  And despite not being in peak condition, having not been able to properly train during the preparation for the appeal, the ‘Blade Runner’ remains optimistic about his goal for the 2008 Olympics, stating, “today, I can pursue my dream of competing in the Olympic Games,” and adding, “if it’s not for Beijing, it will be for London in 2012.”

The recent decision from the CAS has been a breakthrough not only for the runner who faught for his human rights, but moreso for the coutnless others with disibilities who fight for equality.  Considering the streets of Johannesburg are lined with larger than life posters of the harloded hero, Pistorius’ ego is clealry in
check, and is truly humbled with his public persona, and who he is as a person.

Oscar Pistorius, has had to overcome astonishing adversities throughout the course of his life, inspirational feats unthinkable to most other althletes in his sport.  Pistorius was born with congenital absence of the fibula in both legs, a tragic plight that most able bodied people would not know how to cope with. As a result Oscar’s parents were strongly advised to have both of his legs below the knee amputated when he was only 11 months old, a traumatic event which has never held their son back.  At 13 months little Oscar was fitted with his first pair of prosthetics and has never seemed to look back, unless only to momentarily glimpse at all those he’s past on the race track.

Trading sex for Gasoline

JULY 2–A Kentucky woman is facing prostitution charges for allegedly trading sex for gasoline. Angela Eversole, 34, was nabbed last weekend during a police stakeout at a Days Inn, where she allegedly trysted with customer Kenneth Nowak. According to court records, Nowak admitted paying for Eversole’s services, in part, with a $100 Speedway gas card. Eversole was hit with a prostitution rap and also charged with doing business without an occupational license. Nowak was charged with promoting prostitution. Eversole and Nowak are pictured below in mug shots snapped following their June 27 arrests. A local prosecutor noted that it was sad to see someone selling their body for gas, in this case about 25 gallons worth.

Happy 4th of July to our American friends…when you’re down there dont forget to bring your company gas card. Just wait till the prices get really out of control, I’m saving up my petro points! She probably needed the gas card so that she could drive herself to the Hooker DMV and renew her prostitution license.  See this is what people don’t get about high gas prices.  It affects everybody from every walk of life.  I’m putting an ad on Craig’s list. Petro points = sex!!

Move over, will ya!

Vs.

So your thinking, man the TTC is just overcrowded or I’m not going down to Sunnyside or The Beaches pool

just to crowded! Just think if 1 in 10 takes a pee…ya like you can hold it!

Drunk Girl Launches Rocket From Her Ass

Something to look forward to boys. Theres always “that girl”… the one has too much to drink, hooks up with strangers and has a reversal of fortune! Sounds like a good time…damn I love those American Chicks, if she’s willing to do this, just imagine the possibilities! Yum!!

Yankees Prepare For The Obvious - Phone Vegas

Well it just seems like everything is coming together this weekend for the Yankees to sweep the Red Sox in the Bronx.   It’s almost too obvious, their best player is banging Madonna.  What’s the significance of that you ask?  Besides the obvious, the last 3 major sports stars Madonna has banged – their teams have gone on to win the title that year.  You could look it up.   First it was Jose Canseco on the ’89 A’s, then it was Mark Messier on the ’94 Rangers, then it was Dennis Rodman on the ’96 Bulls.  That’s 3 for 3.  Whatever the case, now Arod looks to add the ‘08 Yankees, currently 7.5 games back, to that elite group.  Could it happen?  If history is any guide it will.  Time to make a phone call down to Vegas!

A-Rod’s on Cougar Patrol

by Adam “Sully” Sullivan…

Oh A-Rod, when will you ever learn? Undeniably the best talent in baseball appears to have put all of his skill-stock into athleticism and forgotten everyday things like common sense and discretion.

It all started back in May 2007 when Rodriguez put Toronto on the MLB infidelity map by being spotted with a blonde woman reported to be a stripper from Scores Las Vegas. When the news broke, it broke hard, being reported in various North American newspapers including the New York Post.

Earlier this week, a brand new story was released alleging that Mr. October (of his contract year) was seen leaving pop star Madonna’s New York City apartment building. At first glance, it was dismissed as a rumour until US Weekly ran the story Tuesday. Now it’s official. We all know that once a tabloid like US prints something, it is undoubted fact. From the Top 10 Summer Beach Bodies to a comprehensive list of Colin Farrell’s lovers, I have been getting my world news from these publications since Madonna was still semi-attractive.

When I heard about the latest in the A-Rod sex game, I didn’t know whether to laugh or be disappointed. You have one of the most popular guys in sports, who can conceivably get down with pretty much anyone woman out there, and he chooses Madonna? First off, she’s old now. She’s old and “experienced” to put it lightly. To put it not so lightly, A-Rod is into the sluts. First with a stripper and now Madonna, Rodriguez is single-handedly keeping NYC health clinics in business.

All jokes aside, someone saying a rumour is true, whether it’s coming from a tabloid or the woman your grandma gets her hair done with doesn’t make it a fact. That is, of course, unless it’s about Alex Rodriguez. From confusing an infielder by calling “mine” on a routine pop-up to dogging it until his contract year, he will never get the benefit of my doubt. Hey A-Rod, just do me the favour of being caught with someone a little hotter and less cougar than Madonna next time. Oh, and for the love of god, wrap it up…twice.

Wouldn’t you just love to be the one who strikes the match?

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