Off Wing Opinion

Via James Mirtle, I found this piece from the Ottawa Sun on what the NHL free agent picture might look like soon:

"We could very well see the largest pool of young unrestricted free agent talent on the market in sports history," said Calgary-based agent J.P. Barry, co-managing director of IMG Hockey. "In addition to draft-age players such as (Sidney) Crosby, (Gilbert) Brule, (Mike) Richards and (Jeff) Carter being available, you can add a few hundred other free agents in the prime of their careers to the list of players available to any team. There are less than 300 players under contract for the 2005-06 season.

"Looking to rebuild? How about Joe Thornton, Rick Nash, Jarome Iginla or Dany Heatley? The list of star players in the prime of their careers that may be available is remarkable."

And with the market flooded, a lot of that talent will come very cheap. Tom Benjamin thinks that Steve Moore's suit against Todd Bertuzzi needs to be heard in Canada. I think he's wrong, but I've sent a note to Professor McCann just to check.

As for whether or not Bert deserves to be reinstated into a non-existent league, check out the debate at Sportsfilter.

Jes Golbez lays some wood on Theo.

Click here to relive the 4th quarter of that historic night when Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points on the New York Knicks. And should the NBA increase the minimum age to play in the league. Mark Alesia of the Indianpolis Star examines the issue, with some help from my friend Michael McCann. Click here for my take from a few weeks back. And Sports Law Blog has more.

The Jets tell Doug Brien to find work elsewhere. And while I can't fault them for letting Brien go, the real problem on that sad day in Pittsburgh is that the Jets offense kept sputtering just like it had all season long.

Gee, that Mr. Rodriguez sure can play ball. And it figures I took a day off right after Aaron Heilman looped back into geosynchronous orbit.

Did Lenny Dykstra take steroids and bet on baseball? Yes to one, probably not to the other says the Baseball Crank. Be sure to check out this Michael Lewis piece on power hitting. Thanks to David Pinto for the assist.

So that's what happened to Tuffy Rhodes.

Women in the British Open? You can play anywhere you please if you qualify as far as I'm concerned, though I might give Ernie Els thinks so too.

Man U fans are mobilizing again to keep the team from the clutches of Tampa Bay Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer.

Expect the NFL to fight this decision tooth and nail.

Tennis . . . anyone (cricket)?

I'm staying away from the Internet this afternoon, as I don't want to trip over the score of this game. I'm in TiVo land, so please, be respectful.

Dear God, we will watch anything.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 27th, 2005 at 12:56 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

As a Long Island native, I laughed pretty hard when I heard SUNY-Stony Brook was being put on NCAA probation. I didn't know they even let SUNYs have athletic programs.

Questions are being raised about New York City's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. And as much as I might enjoy the idea of seeing the Olympics in my hometown, I have real fears as to what the final tab will be.

The worst NFL draft in history?

F1 heads to San Marino this weekend, and defending champ Michael Schumacher is in an unfamiliar position.

Fabian Barthez joins the Robbie Alomar fan club.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 22nd, 2005 at 12:37 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

As I first discussed back in January, the man behind the Daily Kos has launched his sports blogging company. You can find them all at SportsBlogs Nation. For now, it's all baseball, but Kos promises more sports soon, and I have no reason to doubt him.

ABC's Monday Night Football is history come 2006, when we'll get to say hello to ESPN's Monday Night Football. My buddy Ben Domenech is not happy:

The four letter network wants to be able to put their own poser spin on the MNF franchise. So ABC ditches the yellow jackets and football on broadcast TV on Monday Night so they can show reruns of Desperate Housewives and Lost and stick Stuart Scott and his B.S. in the booth - and that's how a tradition ends.

Phil Miller thinks NBC gets the best part of the deal. Update your bookmarks, Sabernomics has moved.

Shaq is done for the rest of the regular season. Baby Bulls!

Come the Fall, Marcus Vick is going to get his starting job back in Blacksburg.

Next to the milk carton: No Three Putts.

Good luck, Lance. And enjoy that retirement. Here's Ray Ratto:

The Tour de France will be returned to Europe.

Oh, we love international events, but our relationship with the Olympics tells us that we like international events with a strongly American flavor to them.

The Tour has been Armstrong's chew toy, but in his absence, it is likely to lose most of its fascination to us. Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx were magnificent champions, as well, but Americans found the event, and the sport, eminently resistible nonetheless.

And we shall again. The Outdoor Life Network is going to do its best with what it has, of course -- the Boston Marathon, for example, or rodeos, or "Avalanche Dogs."

But it won't be the same, not by a long shot. Armstrong takes with him all the casual fans of the most famous bicycle race, and if this hurts the feelings of those who love the sport, well, we are who we are, and that's all who we are, we're Popeye the Sailor Man.

Or something like that.

And Tyler Hamilton's cycling career may be over as well.

Both sides are talking again today in the NHL labor dispute. Steve Ovadia is looking at the problem of replacement players. Jes Golbez repeats: time to free Todd Bertuzzi.

David Pinto is crunching numbers, as is his wont. Chris Needham is questioning Frank Robinson's judgement, something native Montrealer and Off Wing reader Jay Sokoloff did when I visited the city last Fall.

If the race is going to last more than 20 minutes, don't bet against Kenya. And in London, some spectators got an extra surprise at Sunday's marathon.

Zero tolerance comes to Fenway Park. It's a welcome addition, one that they could use over in Italy.

R.I.P. Sam Mills.

Hold on a second on that Summer Olympics idea for London 2012.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 19th, 2005 at 12:23 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Just when you think you know everything about Pat Tillman, you find out something else to make you mourn his passing even more intensely. Share your thoughts with the folks at Sportsfilter.

General von Steingrabber is unhappy again, and just how predictable was that? The Sports Prof has some thoughts. Meanwhile, with a far more meager payroll, the Washington Nationals are in first place.

That's the last time I bash Aaron Heilman. Until the next time. The guy is the second coming of John Pacella, I'm telling you.

Destroy a global investment bank, get a job in Irish Football.

Ethnic Soccer violence in Australia? And this isn't anything new down in Oz.

Does anybody still care about Tennis?

Without the NHL Playoffs, you'll have to settle for Steve Ovadia, who's actually found some encouraging news -- though New Jersey Devil Parick Elias has run into a bit of hard luck.

James Mirtle 1 Larry Brooks 0.

Will Lance Armstrong retire after competing in this year's Tour de France? My guess is yes, and boy does he ever deserve it.

When it comes to getting the 2012 Summer Olympics, London is willing to show a little more leg.

It's been 20 years since an American won the Boston Marathon, but I can't seem to gin up any outrage over it. Time was, it seemed as if Bill Rogers and Alberto Salazar were winning the race every year in the wake of the American boom in distance running. Besides, in sports, I like excellence, and seeing Kenyans win by ever increasing margins is all right by me.

To all my friends in New England, Happy Patriots Day. My friend David Pinto is at Fenway. And so is Chris Lynch (whew, perhaps NSFW).

And finally, here's a tribute to golf writer Dan Jenkins from Houston's Clear Thinkers. Oh, and he's worried about the Astros too.

Tattered Coat has a great two part interview with Salon sportswriter King Kaufman (Part I, Part II).

Technorati tag: sports

This entry was posted on Monday, April 18th, 2005 at 12:14 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The NHL Playoffs would have started tonight. Grrr. Share a group hug over at Sportsfilter.

I already said I was going to stay away from the MCI Center on June 11th to avoid Mike Tyson's latest comeback. And now that they've scheduled him to fight against a "Great White Hope", I'm just shaking my head. Train wreck indeed.

Then again, maybe there are comedic possibilities.

Coming off the milk carton: PJ Swensen.

Schilling returns triumphant. Are closers becoming less effective? David Pinto ponders the possibilities. And the Baseball Crank is taking a closer look at Baltimore's Brian Roberts and his surprising power surge.

In their last game before Washington's first home opener in 34 years, the Nationals rallied in the top of the ninth to beat the Braves, 4-3. Ball Wonk is soaking it all in.

In the jockey labor war, it's time for some hardball. From the Associated Press:

Jockeys who refuse mounts would face penalties under a contract that a national group may send to thoroughbred owners planning to race at Churchill Downs on Derby weekend.

Riders who sign the contract would have to pay their mount's owner 25 percent of the total race purse if they fail to ride for reasons other than injury or illness. The amount would be $500,000 in the case of the $2 million Kentucky Derby.

Adam Vinatieri is staying in New England.

Madness in Milan. Bracing for violence in Turin. I can't thank my greatgrandfather enough for leaving Europe.

The 2005 NFL regular season schedule comes out at 2:00 p.m. U.S. EDT. Get your calendars ready.

UPDATE: Here's that NFL schedule.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 13th, 2005 at 12:21 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Mental note to self: Stay away from MCI Center on June 11th.

Check out 3Martini's take on my drug of choice.

Chris Lynch had some recent takes on the NHL worth checking out: One on whether or not the Bain Capital bid might still be in play; and another on why he's backing the players in the dispuite with ownership.

Chris Chelios muses about one of his old coaches. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my lumber upon thee. Thanks to Steve Ovadia.

And speaking of Steve, here's what he had to say about seeing Larry Brooks of the New York Post covering a baseball game:

The fact that he's moved off of hockey, if only for a day, seems to indicate that the lockout isn't ending any time soon and no new developments can be expected. When Brooks fell, that was the fat lady singing. If he's not working on hockey down here in the States, then no one is. Love him or hate him, Brooks is the face of the American hockey media. Or he was. When there was hockey.

And if the next season gets wiped out, the NHL's answer to Randy Moss will stay in Russia. Sounds like a fair trade to me.

At the Frozen Four last weekend, ESPN tried out its new rail cam. The Rodent didn't like the way it was used:

I watched a good portion of the Pioneers-Sioux showdown and certain moments gave me motion sickness.

Specifically, I'm referring to those neutral zone rushes we observed via the fast-moving (and vibrating) rail-cam, which (at times) became the show rather than a tool to enhance the broadcast.

This is simply another gadget which I can not only do without, but plead for ESPN to stillbear.

And later . . .

When the puck is being advanced through the neutral zone, rail-cam delivers a decidely narrow view of developments. You get no perspective of how many players from each side are on the attack.

Is it an odd-man rush?

You cannot tell.

Should the skater have head-manned the puck instead of carrying it towards the blue line himself?

You cannot tell.

He hates it so much, in fact, that he thinks it's a worse idea than Fox's glowing puck. I'm not so sure. While I can understand why he felt ESPN overdid it with its new toy, I generally liked how rail cam's low angle view put you in the center of the action. Perhaps if it was used more selectively, it might actually become more effective.

Let's face facts: televised hockey (especially here in the states) is pretty stale. While the "eye in the sky" view has its advantages, directors need to take more chances closer to the puck to better communicate the speed and violence of the game.

And while there have been notable failures like that glowing puck, I'd rather see the folks in the booth make aggressive mistakes like that instead of the same old stuff.

Labor strife is threatening the Kentucky Derby. As if horse racing didn't have enough problems.

The 1985 version of the LA Lakers just got together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that NBA title. Is it time to move back the 3-point line in college basketball? Join in the debate at Sportsfilter.

Reemer has returned! Rob Visconti to the milk carton!

Tonight here in D.C., my friend Bijan Bayne is taking part in a lecture series celebrating the life and times of Off Wing's number one hero, Jackie Robinson. I'm afraid I can't make it, but if you're in D.C. you ought to check it out.

And finally, Ryan at Distinguished Senators shows how a story about how Nationals Manager Frank Robinson's rejection of Sabermetrics is really about insecure sportswriters.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 12th, 2005 at 12:50 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

It's raining at the Masters. The current tee time is set for 1:30 p.m. U.S. EDT.

As reader Marc Hoff reminded me this morning, we may not have playoff hockey this Spring, but we do have the NCAA Frozen Four. Denver and Colorado College take to the ice in Columbus, Ohio at 2:00 p.m. U.S. EDT, while Minnesota and North Dakota get the prime time exposure tonight at 7:00 p.m. Both games are on ESPN2. The Final will be on ESPN on Saturday night. Click here for ESPN.com's Frozen Four coverage.

One piece of good NHL news: The league met with a group of goaltenders to discuss some potential rule changes concerning equipment and goal size. As far as I'm concerned, anything that forces goalies like Garth Snow and J.S. Giguere to slim down without compromising safety is fine by me. Today, the GMs will stay in Detroit to talk amongst themselves. Thanks to Jim grabbing some shifts at Hockeybird for the pointer.

Tom Benjamin says it's time for the NHL to clarify Todd Bertuzzi's status. A few weeks back, I said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had no reason to move on Bertuzzi until the CBA situation was settled, and I still believe that.

By the time Bertuzzi does return, there won't be any doubt that his punishment was lengthy enough. Now, is Bettman in part playing to the American media by following this strategy? No doubt that he is. Is that completely fair to Bertuzzi? Maybe not, but Bettman is concerned about the league as a whole first and foremost, and its interests are best served by delaying a decision as long as is reasonably possible.

D.C. United isn't crazy about the condition of the field at RFK, and neither are their fans:

At halftime, someone found a way to express apparent dissatisfaction with baseball's intrusion into the stadium where United has been the main tenant. The words "D.C. Unite" were written during halftime on the padded home run fence in the 380-foot power alley in what would be right-center field. Workers spent much of the second half scrubbing away the words.

Mike Tice will only be fined for scalping some Super Bowl tickets -- which is bad news for Vikings fans looking for any way to get him shipped out of town.

Bo goes to court, but libel law is stacked against him. Phil Miller is wondering whether Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is one of the last of a dying breed. David Pinto checks in on some youngsters in Oakland, and likes what he sees so far. For another Oakland fix, check out the latest edition to All Baseball, Straight A's.

Kaley Davis is wondering about the Mets pitching staff:

The box score offers a charitable record of most of the relievers' work. But only Roberto Hernandez looked decent live. Mike Matthews did retire slugger Adam Dunn with a single pitch while the bases were loaded. That was nice. But Manny Aybar looked positively AAAA out there in the 5th even though no one scored. Mister Koo looked a little better with his adorable Rockette-ish high stepping delivery in random use, bit he was not terribly consistent.

And then there was Mike DeJean. Bottom of the eighth: walk, fielder's choice, walk, hit batsman, grand slam. Cincinnati 9, New York 3. He's not supposed to be Eric Gagne out there. But he isn't supposed to be Gopher McHitmehard either.

In the course of this particular debacle, Randolph warmed up and spent five of the team's seven relievers just fourteen hours before the start of the next game. A game which, by the by, will be started by wild thing Kaz Ishii. Hopefully Ishii has been sufficiently Petersonized to pitch into the seventh or eighth. I'm not expecting it, though. I'm expecting to spend all kinds of quality time with Felix Heredia on the mound. Joy of joys.

In response to another reader inquiry, yes, Larry "Chipper" Jones is certainly a Met-killer. My previous list was by no means definitive. I should have also added Mike Schmidt, Willie Stargell and Carl Pavano. Feel free to send me some more.

And finally, Distinguished Senators is hosting an open thread on today's Nationals game with the Phillies. Stop by and say hello.

UPDATE: While Martha Burk might not be in Augusta, she's still trying to make hay from her 15 minutes of fame. Tom Kirkendall has the details.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 7th, 2005 at 12:26 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was taken to Cornell Medical Center this morning after reporting some "stiffness" in his chest. As always, Boston Dirt Dogs is on the case.

Dodger Thoughts has snagged an interview with LA GM Paul DePodesta. Thanks to Futility Infielder for the link.

Television rating for Opening Day were anemic here in Washington, which can't come as much of a surprise after Peter Angelos did his level best to keep the Nationals off of television altogether. For those of you outside the area, the current Nationals television contract only covers 76 games on a UHF station here in Washington. The remainder are the joint property of the Mid Atlantic Sports Network controlled by Angelos -- a package that as of yet has no cable outlet.

Such a deal.

On the golf course early this Spring (along with the members of the NHLPA): Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers. I guess Rudy T. knew what he was doing when he walked away (ditto Shaq and Phil Jackson).

There are unconfirmed reports that we should be optimistic about the status of the NHL labor negotiations. Considering if that were true, we still have to wait another six motnhs before the league returns to the ice, I'm having trouble caring.

Coming to a milk carton near you: PJ Swensen.

Team USA has named its roster for the 2005 World Hockey Championships, and some familiar names are missing:

Surprisingly, many regulars such as Keith Tkachuk, Brett Hull, Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, Jeremy Roenick, Bill Guerin and Tony Amonte are not on the U.S. roster.

"We're excited about the team we have assembled and look forward to an exciting and successful World Championship," said Don Waddell, general manager of Team USA.

As for Tkachuk and the rest of the veteran gaggle, they've done their bid for their nation more times than I can count. They've earned the right to take a pass on international competition, and give some others an opportunity to play.

Though I must admit, I'm a tad puzzled as to why Scott Gomez isn't on the roster.

Here's one American hockey player who won't be going back to Canada anytime soon.

Golf Digest has just published its annual list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses. Thanks to Tom Kirkendall for the link.

Michelle Wie is taking a shot at qualifying for the U.S. Open.

And finally, stop by the Masters.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 6th, 2005 at 12:53 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

It's a new format for changing times. Let me know what you all think.

New Year's Resolution 2006: Charles Austin fills out my NCAA brackets next year.

And that's after I bagged three of the Final Four (except Michigan State, last time I trust Visconti).

Brilliant.

Defending MLS champs D.C. United picked up where it left off on Sunday, downing CD Chivas USA 2-0 at the Home Depot Center in Carson. The bad news: all of the empty seats.

Best moment from the outdoor charity hockey game in Hamilton, Ontario yesterday:

Even Indianapolis Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt, an Ontario native, donned some skates and botched a breakaway against Brodeur.

``I thought to myself, 'I'm going down the ice against Martin Brodeur.' I psyched myself out,'' he said.

Know this: Mike Weir would have buried it.

It's Opening Day (no, last night's made for TV clash doesn't count). Time to check in with David Pinto.

The most entertaining sports moment of the weekend came from the English Premier League. The reaction shots from the crowd and the postgame press conference were priceless.

It's almost as good as the 1977 Yankees.

The Supremes find Maurice Clarett decidedly unappealing.

Tampa Bay's Alex Sanchez is the first baseball player to run afoul of MLB's new steroids testing regimen:

Sanchez said he was surprised by the suspension, adding that he uses milkshakes and multivitamins to build his energy -- and blaming the positive test on something he bought over the counter.

"I'm going to fight it, because I've never taken steroids or anything like that. ... I never take any steroids because I don't need them," said Sanchez, who was released by Detroit in mid-March and signed by the Devil Rays.

Where have we heard that argument before? And be sure to check in with the Crank and Chris Lynch as well.

Some folks over at Sportsfilter find this to be all too convenient, and I'm inclined to agree. Look for a more expansive post on steroids later this week.

Just when you thought there was no reason to get excited about Volleyball:

THESSALONIKI, Greece -- Police used tear gas and pepper spray early Monday to disperse rioting volleyball fans who had been barred from greeting their team at the airport. Authorities reported no injuries or arrests.

Fighting began outside Thessaloniki's Macedonia International Airport after Iraklis Thessaloniki won the Greek Cup final, defeating Olympiakos on the island of Crete on Sunday.

About 500 Iraklis fans hurled rocks and gasoline bombs at riot police after they were prevented from entering the airport arrivals area to meet players returning to the northern Greek city.

See FMSFM #10.

John Buccigross provides his NHL laundry list for reform -- but will it insult the core of hockey fandom in pursuit of new paying customers who may not exist?

No NHL Playoffs? Here in the States, the all-WCHA Frozen Four will have to do.

And finally, the good word from Chris Bourque: Hockey is fun, school is hard.

Thanks to Ben Wright for the inspiration.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 4th, 2005 at 1:16 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under Misc. Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.