Terrell Owens is employed once again. The loudmouth wideout agreed to a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
T.O. and Ochocinco together in Cincy
Author: Chris Ostrander
Two quick hitters: Tour de France and Lax Championships
The Tour de France concluded today with Spaniard Alberto Contador claiming his third yellow jersey.
What irks me about this daunting bike race is that the final stage is nothing more than a closing ceremony. Any doubt in this race – any year not just the 2010 edition – is always determined in the 17-19 stages, never the 20th. Although I respect the sentiment of allowing the final stage to be a victory lap, my competitive instincts tell me otherwise.
Is Buffalo seriously this cursed?
I was driving through downtown today when I realized; Buffalo has been treading water for the past 10+ years.
There is so much potential for new development and exciting new projects, yet nothing ever gets off the ground. Start in 1997 when the new Peace Bridge was supposed to go up – hope nobody is still holding their breath on that one. Better yet, 2001, Bass Pro signaled that they wanted an anchor store in Buffalo, a short time later they earmarked The Aud as their ideal location. Today, Bass Pro has opened a gazillion (probably more like 10) new stores all over North America. WTF. Continue reading
Kovalchuk deal nixed. Now what?
So, Ilya Kovalchuk’s ridiculous contract was nixed by the NHL. Some sources (Scott Burnside) say it was nullified before the news conference but, the Devils went ahead and announced it anyway.
It was a bad deal, borderline cheating. But, the Chris Pronger and Marian Hossa deal are just as bad, and the league did nothing about them. So, why is Kovalchuk the example?
Personally, I think it is the right thing to do for the NHL. This ridiculous contract structuring needs to be stopped. Unfortunately Lucky Lou wasn’t so this time around. Hopefully he turns around and gives the guy an actual contract – one that gives him the term he is looking for, plus the right annual earnings. Maybe they can keep it under ten years too.
Better yet, maybe the Kings swoop in at the 11th hour to steal the big fish back.
ESPN covering their tracks
ESPN has realized the folly of televising the one-hour LeBron circus.
The network’s Ombudsman, Don Ohlmeyer, issue this statement/story/article on the ESPN website analyzing the decision to air The Decision.
To me, it come across like he is criticizing the decision, all while presenting a case as to why it made sense.
Deal with the Devils (and a Flyers trade)
The goat rodeo is finally over. Ilya Kovalchuk has found his team for 2010-11, and beyond.
The Russian right-winger signed a staggering, 17-year $102 million deal with New Jersey today, ending the courtship for the biggest name in the 2010 free agent pool. After much speculation that Kovalchuk would end up in Los Angeles, he stayed with New Jersey – the team that sold the farm to get him at the trade deadline.
Watch out NHL! Here come the Buffalo Sabres!
Not really. The Sabres officially announced another signing today, but it is even more underwhelming that the re-signing of Patrick Lalime.
The Sabres agreed to terms with tough-guy Tim Conboy. The 6’2″ 210lb right winger will spend the season in Portland, barring any unforeseen rash of injuries. Conboy has split time between the AHL and NHL the past few years but, I don’t see a spot for him on the Sabres roster.
Some die hards will remember him for inciting a gongshow at the first Pirates game at HSBC Arena in 2009. This was during my time with the Sabres and I’ll never forget the game because of the lengthy shootout (Portland lost 4-3 to Albany) and the numerous fights. Conboy stuck to the code when he decided Nathan Gerbe was the right dance partner for him that evening. We will see how well those two get together on the farm next year.
Dutch hater!…and the World Cup final
First, congratulations to the Spanish for their World Cup victory. Spain now holds the European and World championships.
The LeBron network
It had to be only hours after my piece calling out ESPN that they decided to dedicate an hour to LeBron James’ decision on who to sign with.
How ridiculous can you get? I understand that this is the biggest thing for the NBA, and the network that holds the league in such limelight, since Jordan retired. But still, this guy hasn’t won anything. I don’t even think I would give him the final shot in game seven if I had the choice. Dwayne Wade and Kobe would be my first two choices – and I’m sure there are more ahead of LBJ.
Either way, I think he ends up with the South Beach Super Squad (Miami Heat) and they win a title or two in the next few seasons. Cleveland doesn’t have the ability to build him a winner. The Bulls failed to land any big names. The Nets and Bulls are floating in the same boat. Finally, the Knicks just don’t seem capable of landing him, even with Amare Stoudemire.
I’ll have a recap of the event, plus some photoshop goodness later tonight or tomorrow. It should be interesting to see the outcome, even though the reports have already leaked.
World Cup Final set
Spain advanced to the World Cup final on a late header from Carles Puyol this afternoon. They will meet the Netherlands on Sunday in Johannesburg for the 2010 World Cup.
While almost my entire family is Irish, my last name is Dutch. Therefore, I get to root for my “ancestors” come Sunday evening.
