2012 - Page 53 of 114 - Last Word On Sports

Usain Bolt Wants Premier League Shot

Posted on August 9, 2012November 5, 2021 by Jack Stone

The World’s fastest man ever, Usain Bolt of Jamaica, earlier this week set the olympic record in 100-meter dash completing the race in 9.63 seconds. His world record of 9.58 seconds in the event is often considered “inhuman” – to be able to run at this speed, he is in a class by himself.

Most top-level amateur athletes at some point in their lives question whether they have what it takes, and Bolt is apparently no different. What is interesting about him is that he hopes to play a completely different sport professionally – international football.

If you think about it, speed is a MAJOR advantage in any sport. Bolt has been talking about taking his cheetah-like speed to the likes of professional soccer, and has even pinned it down to one team that he would like to try playing with – Manchester United.

The sprinter claims to have been a long-time avid Devils fan and even visited the training ground back in May of 2009, where he gave Cristiano Ronaldo sprinting lessons. He recently went on record saying, “People think I am joking, But if Alex Ferguson called me up and said, ‘ okay, let’s do this, come and have a trial and see if you are good enough’ it would be impossible for me to say ‘no’.”

Now we all know the sport of soccer is not just how fast a player can sprint, but more importantly how fast a player can run while dribbling a ball as well as knowing when and where they will distribute that ball. But having said this, a confident Bolt stated, “I would not take up the challenge if I didn’t think I was good enough. I am a very accomplished player and know I could make a difference. I would be the fastest player in the team – but I can play as well.”

United defender Rio Ferdinand tweeted that he would like the world’s fastest man to have a try-out and is willing to work with any skills that would help the sprinter succeed. In comparison, Wayne Rooney was quoted saying that Bolt should stick to running as it is a complete different sport.

My thoughts:

Speed is an incredibly important attribute, but as said earlier when it comes to speed in soccer, its more important how fast you can run with a ball at your feet. I definitely think it is worth giving the speed demon a chance, because if he can play like he says he can, the possibilities are endless…

Imagine having a corner kick against you in your own area, and if that kick landed poorly to a United player, they would blast the ball down field and let the Cheetah fetch it…. Defenses would certainly play a few metres back in fear of the lighting bolt burning past them, which would create more space in the mid field. Not to mention he is 6’5 210lbs of lighting – just try Marking him on a set-piece.

Of course this is all fantastical, and I am merely entertaining the idea. Bolt may receive his tryout, but I can’t see him having the technical skills and creativity of these professional footballers at the highest level. Sorry fellow United fans, and sorry Usain Bolt. Congratulations on your accomplishments by the way – in running!

Hammer Radio: A preview of Frankie Edgar vs Ben Henderson

Posted on August 9, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Its Wednesday Night, so the Hammer Radio show is back, and available in Hamilton on 93.3 CMFU FM, and archived on the internet at http://thehammar.libsyn.com

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA. This week they are back with another new episode and you can listen to the archived podcast by clicking here. Hammer Radio 105.

“The description: The UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar 2 Pay Per View is this weekend, and if their last fight is any indication, then Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar’s Lightweight Championship rematch should be exciting. We preview all of the fights on the show, as usual.

We also discuss the latest drama in the UFC Heavyweight division, yet more injuries ruining big fights, and the surprisingly incredible UFC on FOX 4 show from last weekend.”

The Hammer features lastwordonsports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by MMA aficionado Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, and others. They continue to bring unparallelled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

They’ll give you the straight goods and the Last Word.

Andrej Meszaros Tears Achillies: Who do Flyers turn to now?

Posted on August 8, 2012November 5, 2021 by Maksim Vasilyev

Hey, Detroit and Nashville fans, good news! You are no longer the only teams that grabbed over 100 points last season and had your defensive troops melt down over the summer. Another club joining that fun group, by fun I mean a sobbing mass of drunk fans, over this summer are the Philadelphia Flyers.

The fans of these clubs had high expectations coming into the off-season. They had not made it very far into the playoffs and had tons of holes to fill over the summer, most of them being on the blue line. The Wings just lost Nicklas Lidstrom to retirement and Brad Stuart via trade with the San Jose Sharks, while Nashville lost Ryan Suter to free agency and almost lost Shea Weber to an offer sheet from the same Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers on the other hand have had just as bad if not worse of an offseason when it comes to the back end talent. Chris Pronger has concussion issues that will most likely force this great player to sit on IR this season, and possibly for the rest of his contract, I say this while grinding my teeth as he has been just a menace to my Red Wings for most of his career. They also lost Matt Carle to free agency. That is two top four defensemen that they will be without at the start of the season. Happy off-season Flyer fans, here is an early crap-cake to celebrate another disappointing year to come.

And now comes the cherry on the cake: Andrej Meszaros out for six-plus months after tearing his Achilles tendon.

Can Claude Giroux play defense?

While the Red Wings and Nashville Predators had some young defensive talent to insert into the lineup with Brendan Smith and Jakub Kindl for Detroit and Ryan Ellis, Jonathon Blum, and Roman Josi for Nashville, the Philadelphia Flyers have a been left in a much tougher situation. The trade of JVR for Luke Schenn turns out to be a life saver instead of a complimentary addition. Let’s take a look at who will be slowing down Malkin, Crosby, Nash, and Kovalchuk this season for the Flyers before Ilya Bryzgalov is fed to the wolves (or bears) of the hungry Atlantic division.

Kimmo Timonen is the highest paid and will have to be the highest played defenseman for the Flyers. This guy racked up 43 points last season while playing a little bit over 21 minutes per game. The 21 minutes was a little on the lower side for this work horse and we should see his minutes go up to around 23 to 24 minutes per game. This will happen out of necessity due to the weak top-four that Peter Laviolette will have available to him. He will be the number one guy on the power play and to the fantasy nuts look for him to flirt with 50 points again. I can see him bringing up his 3.1 shooting percentage to a bit more of his career average of 6 percent and scoring around 8 to 10 goals in 2012-2013. The only concern here is that he is 37-years old and will turn 38 in March. He has been known to stay relatively healthy throughout his career, but some extra wear and tear could have an affect on the aging body of this Finnish star.

This is where things drop off incredibly for the Flyers.

The next highest scoring defenseman for Philly was Matt Carle with 38 points, but he bolted (pun intended) to the Tampa Bay Lighting. So who can carry his offensive load?

Braydon Coburn comes to mind. He did have a 37 point season once and has been a rather solid defenceman for the flyers. With an increase in playing time and maybe a bit more powerplay time, we can see this guy get back to a 30-35 point plateau. At 6’5″ and 220 pounds he has impressive size. He will carry the defensive responsibility for the Flyers like no other player on the team. His play will have to improve drastically, as is expected from all of the D-men next year, if Philly is to stay competitive in the tough Atlantic division. He will eat up a bit more short-handed minutes than last year (he averaged 3:19 per game) if that is even possible, and with Meszaros (who averaged 2:24 SH minutes per game) being out for about half the season, will carry the load of the having played the most minutes each night.

Nicklas Grossmann will be another mammoth of a man on the blue line for the Flyers. He is not known for his offense, but will be a solid player for the second pairing. His size and experience should serve him well. The forwards upfront can generate plenty of offense so you can anticipate that the extra ice time may help him to score more than the 11 points he had last year. He scored 6 of them in 22 games with Philly while only posting 5 points in 52 games on Dallas. I call this the Giroux affect.

Now we get to Luke Schenn. Luke has had a bit of pressure put on him due to being drafted 5th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has not lived up to the hype in the hockey pressure cooker that is Toronto. The good thing about this kid is that he has size and speed. If you are a Flyers fan you have to be loving this kind of stuff from a kid who obviously is not afraid to lay on some hurt on anyone, even Malkin. He does need to add some maturity to his game – he needs to learn how to play a bit more responsibly in his own end. The hitting is fun and all, but sound defensive work is what you need to win. He could benefit greatly while playing with Timonen. The offensive upside could be huge, too. He may explode for 30 points playing with the offensively-minded Flyers. On the flip-side he could slide down to the third pairing due to weak play in his end, especially if Bryzzy is a bit shaky.

So after these four you get mish-mash. Andreas Lilja, Bruno Gervais, Erik Gustafsson, and Marc-Andre Bourdon, with maybe Brandon Manning and Matt Walker being AHL substitutes, are all interchangeable and replaceable options.

The big problem here is that if any one of those top four guys goes down with an injury, what then? Who do you fill the roster spot with? This could have been addressed with Shea Weber coming to town, but Nashville smartly matched the offer sheet. So what is the answer here?

Well, the FA market can give you some solid third pairing guys in Matt Gilroy and Carlo Colaiacovo, but that is not what the Flyers are missing. They need a top-two, top-four defenseman and the only way to get one of those is via trade. But who and where can they acquire that? Would Long Island deal Streit for some young prospects? Maybe. But to me this season might be a hard one to swallow for the Flyers fans and my recommendation is to look forward to the next season – as painful as that sounds.

If he is on IR they can replace Pronger and his $5 million cap hit, and next season Timonen’s $6.4 million cap hit comes off the books, which would give them tons of cap space to snatch-up some free agents. Some notable UFA’s next year are Mark Streit, Alexander Edler, Ian White, Kevin Klein, and Ryan Whitney. These prime-aged defensemen can potentially test the free agent market. But hey, this is Paul Holmgren we are talking about. He has the balls and the hair to make a bold move to get the guy he needs. With him behind the helm you can expect nothing, and at the same time expect anything.

Follow me on Twitter – @maximus91

Check out the “NHL Happy Hour” and see how NHL players and Vodka are surprisingly similar!

Is the Robin van Persie Saga Decided, Finally?

Posted on August 8, 2012November 5, 2021 by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

It appears the Robin van Persie, the disgruntled Arsenal striker, is set to leave the club’s training in Germany to fly back to England to hold talks with Manchester United according to Sky Sports.

Arsene Wenger has certainly done his job in securing the team’s future with the signings of Podolski and Giroud in the Spring, and most recently the largely publicized aggressive move for Spanish International, Santi Cazorla. RvP was very adamant about his disagreement with the direction the club was taking in regards to ending its trophy drought. Perhaps now he feels a little silly as the club has done its part and more with three very legitimate signings.

Not to take anything away from Robin’s time at Arsenal. Far be it from me to criticize a guy who has a scoring record that is near the tops of the world, only a short pace from Messi and Ronaldo. But, as a Gooner myself, I am just happy the drama seems to be finding a resolution.

Follow me on Twitter – @TwoLeftCleats

Hometown Decision Robs Custio Clayton of a Medal

Posted on August 8, 2012November 5, 2021 by Greg Persson

Day 11 of these Olympics saw a spectacular robbery of a gold medal opportunity for Canada’s Women’s Soccer team. On the heels of this controversial referee’s decision however, Day 12 marked another questionable result for Canada.

Custio Clayton from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia was the last remaining Canadian boxer with a medal hope. The unranked welterweight carried all of Canada’s boxing medal hopes on his back. Unfortunately, Mary Spencer, who was considered to be a gold medal favorite on the women’s side, lost in her quarter final match on Monday after instituting a poor game-plan against her Chinese opponent. Canada’s lone other competitor, Super-heavyweight Simon Kean was defeated in a fairly lopsided affair on Day 10. So, it was up to Clayton who had advanced to the quarter final without the benefit of a first-round bye.

Clayton beat Mexican fighter Oscar Molina Casillas fairly handily in the round of 32 and disposed of heavily favored Aussie Cameron Hammond in the second round. Clayton, in his first two bouts demonstrated that his gas tank and speed were not to be toyed with, most poignantly against Hammond, where Clayton tired out Hammond and dominated him in the second and third rounds.

Up next for Clayton was a daunting task, the number-2 ranked, hometown hero, Freddie Evans. With a win, Clayton would guarantee a medal as two bronze medals are awarded in Boxing, similar to Judo and Wrestling at the Olympics. Clayton came out flat in the first round finishing with a seemingly insurmountable 7 points to 2 deficit. In the second round, however, Clayton went to work utilizing his speed and employing more of an out-fighting strategy. Clayton did not dominate the round as Evans held strong, but as the round was nearing its conclusion Clayton landed multiple scoring shots and won the second round by a score of 6-3. This set up the final round with Clayton trailing 10-8. It is important to note that Evans was warned twice for pushing down Clayton’s head, which is a foul. One more warning for the same infraction would result in a point deduction.

In the third round as in his first two fights, Clayton displayed his heart and stamina by out-slugging Evans, so much so that by the closing seconds Evans could barely throw. It seemed as if Clayton’s awesome cardio in the final round had once again come through to earn him a come from behind victory. The judges’ scores came out and shockingly the final round was scored only 6-4 for Clayton. After winning the second and third rounds, Clayton found himself tied with Evans. Based on the tie-breaker rules for Olympic boxing Evans was awarded the decision much to the delight of the home crowd.

So what’s the issue, then?

What makes this decision controversial is not the actual score or the tie-break as Olympic boxing’s scoring system is highly subjective and unexpected scoring tends to be the rule rather than the exception. I will pass over the fact that judges have been over-rewarding British fighters throughout the games (not only my criticism – many boxing experts are claiming the same) and the fact that Clayton won two of the three rounds, which should have ensured him the tie-break given the method by which ties are settled. The above points are open for debate. What truly makes this a robbery is the judges ignoring the third warning for pushing Clayton’s head down given to Evans in the third round.

An automatic point deduction is supposed to occur when a fighter is warned three times for the same foul. The tie would have surely been broken as a result of the point deduction. Boxing Canada appealed the decision shortly after the fight. The common opinion about appeals is that they rarely work, sort of like arguing balls and strikes with an umpire, however American Errol Spence had a 13-11 loss successfully overturned after it was determined that 2 infractions should have been called on his opponent. I personally was not optimistic that the correct decision would be made in Clayton’s case as he was up against a British fighter at the London Olympics and also Canada doesn’t tend to throw their weight around the way that our neighbours to the south do. As expected, Brian Williams announced at about 10:45 PM EST that Custio Clayton lost the appeal.

Canadians were hoping that what happened with Sale and Pelletier’s appeal in 2002 could also happen for Clayton as he is way too talented and has fought far too well to leave London without a souvenir around his neck. However, Clayton joined the Women’s Soccer team having an Olympic dream stolen by incompetent officiating. Olympic boxing judging is a joke and something needs to be done about it the way that figure skating judging was improved after the Salt Lake City scandal. I sincerely hope we get to see Custio Clayton again as he is a pleasure to watch and a class act, leaving the ring with a smile on his face even after being treated so unfairly.

…and that is the Last Word.

Feel free to leave your thoughts below.

Top Shelf Prospects: Los Angeles Kings

Posted on August 8, 2012July 31, 2022 by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects” a team by team look at the top prospects in the NHL. Today, as I continue my alphabetical journey through the NHL I bring you a look at the Los Angeles Kings. As always you can find a complete listing of my previous articles here. Since we had an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in the 2012 draft, as there have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed. What I will be doing is linking you to those articles, as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year’s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2012-13 roster of the NHL team in question. I will also bring you one sleeper pick. A player who was either drafted in the 4th round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as my darkhorse to make the NHL.

For the Kings I will not be including Slava Voynov, Dwight King or Jordan Nolan as prospects. These three players played all 20 games for the Stanley Cup Champions, and given their performances in the playoffs they should be considered as graduated to the NHL. I will however, be including Andrei Loktionov who is slightly above my normal games played cut-off as he only played 2 playoff games, and is still searching for a full-time place in the Kings lineup.

2012 Draft Profiles:
Tanner Pearson, Tomas Hyka, Nick Ebert

#1 Prospect Andrei Loktionov, Centre
Born May 30 1990 — Voskresensk, Russia
Height 5.10 — Weight 180 — Shoots Left
Selected by the Los Angeles Kings in round 5 #123 overall at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft

Loktionov has spent the last two seasons bouncing between playing in the NHL for the Kings, and for the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL. At the AHL level Loktionov has been a decent offensive contributor with 75 points in 95 career AHL games. Loktionov was also an important piece of the 2009 Windsor Spitfires, who won the Memorial Cup.

Loktionov’s offensive game is one of a pure playmaker. He has the vision to find open teammates and the passing ability to thread the needle through tight passing lanes and get them the puck. He has excellent puck control and puck protection, and is able to use these skills to control the play and to buy time for teammates to get open. He reads the play very well and has great hockey sense meaning that when they do get an opportunity, he is able to quickly pounce. He gets to the dirty areas of the ice, and is willing to take abuse to make plays. His quick, soft hands are very good in tight, and he scores most of his goals from very close to the net.

However Loktionov also has some deficiencies that have kept him on the constants yo-yo between the AHL and NHL. Skating wise, he has good agility, balance, and edgework which makes him a very shifty skater and someone who is able to get by opponents. However he is below average in terms of acceleration, and his top end speed is merely average. As such he doesn’t pull away from defenders when he does get by them. His wrist shot is merely average in its velocity, as is his release. This will always hold him back from being a big goal scorer at the NHL level, and he will instead need to rely on his playmaking skills.

Despite these issues, Loktionov is still an excellent prospect. Unfortunately for him, the Kings great depth at centre makes cracking the lineup extremely difficult. With Kopitar, Richards, and Stoll manning the top 3 centre spots, the Kings dont have a lot of room for an offensive contributor like Loktionov. Even if one of those players is hurt, the Kings also have Jeff Carter who can play centre for them in a pinch. Like Carter, Loktionov may have to shift to the wing to find a permanent place in the Kings’ lineup.

#2 Prospect, Tyler Toffoli, Right Wing
Born Apr 24 1992 — Scarborough, ONT
Height 6.00 — Weight 186 — Shoots R
Selected by Los Angeles Kings in round 2 #47 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Tyler Toffoli has really taken off as an offensive force in the OHL since being drafted in the second round of the 2010 Draft. In 2010-11 he rode a 5 point performance on the final day of the season to win both the OHL Goal and Point scoring Titles. This past season, he repeated for most goals scored in the OHL and was second in points by just 2 points to Michael Sgarbossa. This despite playing 1 less game than Sgarbossa.

Toffoli is a natural sniper who has an NHL ready wrist shot and snap shot, including absolutely incredible release speed. If given an opening he is just lightning quick with his shots and they are in the back of the net. He also has soft hands and good stickhandling and puck control skills. Toffoli can leave defenders reeling with a dangle, or can bury the puck in close to net. While he’s a natural sniper, he brings more than just that, as Toffoli has the good good vision and passing ability to be a playmaker off the wing. He has excellent hockey sense in the offensive zone, as he has a real ability to slow the game down and make smart decisions. He also has the ability to spot openings and set up for a good shot in the offensive zone. Toffoli just craves goals, and is tenacious in the offensive zone. He is willing to work along the boards and battle for pucks. He is also willing to get to the front of the net and take the punishment necessary to score from the dirty areas of the ice.

The biggest thing holding Toffoli back right now is his skating. He is a below average skater. His skating stride is choppy and unorthodox and this leads to a lack of speed and acceleration. He does however have good balance and is difficult to knock over with a check, and this will help him going forward.

Defensively Toffoli needs to show the same work ethic and tenacity in his own end that he shows in the offensive end. He quite simply doesn’t do that often enough. He can get caught floating and puck watching at times. He also needs to work on his positioning and overall defensive game.

It is good to know though that defensive prowess and skating ability are two things that a player can improve going forward. The offensive skills that Toffoli possesses quite simply can not be taught. He is ready for the next level, but should start in the AHL to work on the issues of his game that need improving.

Prospect #3 and Sleeper Pick: Jake Muzzin, Defence
Born Feb 21 1989 — Woodstock, ONT
Height 6.02 — Weight 216 — Shoots Left
Selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in round 5 #141 overall at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
Went Unsigned by the Penguins, and then undrafted in 2009. Signed with the Kings as a Free Agent

Muzzin was a 5th round draft pick of Pittsburgh who was never signed. He re-entered the draft in 2009 and was not taken. Finally in February 2010, the Kings gave Muzzin his first professional deal while he was having a great overage season. Given all that Muzzin certainly qualifies as my sleeper pick. However, he’s also more than that, Muzzin has developped into a defenceman that is now the third best prospect in the Kings system as well. He has surpassed the much more hyped Thomas Hickey (a former fourth overall pick). Muzzin even played 11 games for the Kings in 2010-11.

Muzzin has great size, and is a big, strong, rugged two way defender. He is very good defensively, with solid positioning in his own end, and a willingness to block shots. He absolutely loves to play a physical brand of hockey, and throws hard hits, wins battles on the boards, and clears the front of the net. Muzzin is even willing to drop gloves to defend teammates when it is necessary.

He is a decent skater with good straight line speed both forwards and backwards, and good acceleration and balance. However, he continues to need work on using his edges more effectively and his agility and pivots. His below average edge work and pivoting can lead to him being beaten on rushes by forwards with good outside speed. He tries to minimize this with good positioning, and being able to lay those big hits if the forward isn’t quite fast enough.

Offensively, Muzzin starts his team’s transition game with a good first pass from his own end of the ice. He isn’t the type of defenceman to carry the puck coast to coast, or to lead the rush, but he does pick good opportunities to join in as a trailer. On the powerplay he has decent poise and passing ability, but these are not his strengths. Instead he has a cannon for a slapshot and great ability to take one timers. As such he is more of a Power Play trigger man, than a quarterback.

Muzzin projects as a future bottom pairing defenceman, and he is very close to being NHL ready. However he is waiting for a spot to open on the Kings blue line, for him to really get his chance to shine.

While the three players profiled are good prospects, the Kings system is probably at the weakest point its been at in several years. The high profile graduations and trades made by GM Dean Lombardi have paid off, as seen by the good young team that won this years’ Stanley Cup. Over the last several years Lombardi has been a savvy talent evaluator and most of his moves have turned into gold. The pick of Hickey may have been a bit of a misstep, but it is one the Kings recovered from and have not repeated. Given the age of the big club overall, and its performance, the defending Stanley Cup Champs are looking like they will be a contender to win another for the immediate future.

Please feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on twitter @LastWordBKerr.

Canada 3, USA 3, Referee 1

Posted on August 7, 2012November 5, 2021 by Matthew Bin

The second half of the second semi-final in Olympic women’s soccer was an end-to-end affair, with the Canadians taking and surrendering the lead three times.

The Americans have an array of weapons up front, and deployed them relentlessly. Playmaker Megan Rapinoe repeatedly fed arguably the world’s best female striker, Abby Wambach.

Meanwhile the Canadians, with the stalwart and underrated Diana Matheson patrolling the midfield and arguably an even better female striker in Christine Sinclair, battled ahead for the lead three times, then succumbed to a never-say-die American powerhouse in the very last moments of play.

That’s the story they’re telling in the American media today, carefully sidestepping the fact that the American team was the Goliath to the Canadians’ David. There also carefully omitting that the final scoreline was Canada 3, USA 3, Referee 1.

With Canada ahead by a goal and ten minutes of the game remaining, the ref made two game-changing calls. First, she whistled for an indirect free kick when the Canadian keeper delayed the game; second, she called for a penalty when a Canadian handled the ball in the box. The Americans converted the kick and went on to win the game in extra time after a half hour of extra time.

The referee, Christina Pedersen, is highly experienced. She appears disinterested – she’s from Norway. She has reffed world cup games as well as other Olympic games. Her credentials are top-notch. Both of those calls, however, were anything but. The first was doubtful at best, and the other almost unprecedented in high-level soccer.

Let’s start with the less controversial call, the penalty. There’s no question that the ball struck Canadian defender Marie-Eve Nault’s hand; it was drilled at the Canadian wall from short-range, and caromed off another defender before hitting Nault. It’s a classic case of “ball-to-hand”, a fine difference that makes a distinction between a player redirecting the ball with her hand, deliberately or accidentally, and the ball striking a player in the arm before the player can react. The distinction is most often made when the player’s hand is in front of her body, which Nault’s indisputably was. The ref knew the penalty call would alter the outcome of the match, but called it anyway.

This call is made even more questionable by the fact that a handball by American midfielder Megan Rapinoe in the United States penalty area had gone uncalled approximately 15 minutes earlier. Unlike Nault, Rapinoe’s arm was not tucked in and was extended away from her body. Arguably the missed call on Rapinoe was a more egregious foul than the call that went against Nault.

Still, while it’s rare, but refs can make bad calls like that sometimes. The ball is round, as they say. The other call, the delay of game ruling, was unspeakable.

The way refs deal with keepers who delay the game is this; the keeper has six seconds from the point where she picks up the ball to where she releases it (usually by kicking it upfield). If the keeper lingers with the ball, the ref typically cautions her at least once, usually multiple times. If the keeper persists, the ref stops play, pulls a yellow card on the keeper, and then allows play to continue.

Did Erin MacLeod, a veteran international player, hold the ball for more than six seconds? Yes. Repeatedly? Yes. But so did Hope Solo at the other end of the field. Neither keeper was noticeably cautioned at any point during the game.

And while MacLeod was in the act of kicking the ball–that is, getting play underway again–the referee decided to throw the rulebook out completely and make a call that no one outside of high school intramural league play has seen, ever. She awarded the Americans an indirect free kick at the point where MacLeod kicked the ball. A minute later, the ball was in the back of the Canadian net.

It’s hard to overstate how ridiculous Pedersen’s call was. Never mind that she ignored many instances of grappling, climbing, and spiking at both ends of the field. Never mind that the American star, Abby Wambach, manhandled her markers repeatedly in the box (and was frustrated each time, only scoring on the dubious penalty kick).

No, the referee took it on herself to deliberately alter the outcome of the match, to the benefit of a highly favoured American team that was on the verge of losing to these upstart Canadians, who had already eliminated the Great Britain side from the tournament.

Why would Pedersen do that? To ensure a few more seats were filled in Wembley, knowing that a USA-Japan gold medal match would draw many times what a Canada-Japan final would?

It’s dangerous to play the conspiracy card. We are all biased. We all want our team to win. And we all want to believe that the best team does win, that medals are awarded to those who earned them. That, after all, is what the Olympics are supposed to be about, however naive that sounds. But what are the alternatives? That we label her as an incompetent ref? She isn’t. That she was overtaken by temporary insanity? Unlikely. It’s a lot easier to believe that the ref was bought off than that her calls were made honestly and in good faith.

Yes, the ball is round, and everything else is pure theory. But whatever the outcome in the final, the Americans’ medal will always have an asterisk beside it.

* Canada 3, USA 3, Referee 1.

Even Jimmy Buffet Wouldn't Like the Argos' 5pm Kickoff!

Posted on August 7, 2012November 5, 2021 by Carl Mostacci

I love Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson’s “It’s Five o’clock Somewhere”. It is a great song to listen to when chilling with a drink on a patio. 5 o’clock is also a great time to eat dinner and for many to celebrate the end of the work day. But is 5 o’clock the right time for football?

I would love to pose the question to both the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL’s television carrier, TSN. 5pm is an asinine time for a football game to start on any day, nevermind a weekday. I do realize it was a holiday, but it wasn’t statutory, and not everyone had the day off. It is no secret, the Argos face challenges in drawing fans. I don’t think a game starting at 5pm would help their cause. Predictably, only 22,841 fans witnessed yesterday’s game at Rogers Centre, and from what I heard that is a very generous tally. Argo fans had plenty to cheer about entering this game as Toronto was tied for first in the CFL’s Eastern Division at 3-2 and were winners of two straight.

Perhaps the Argos would have faired slightly better attendance-wise if the game started at either 1pm or 7pm. These two times are the most popular times for sporting events to start, and I feel would have been more favourable and appealing to fans. I understand the game time was heavily dictated by TSN, and right now their primary focus is broadcasting the 2012 Summer Olympics. But other arrangements, like showing this CFL game on TSN 2 for example, could have been made in-order to showcase the game at a much more convenient time. I also recognize that the NFL has late afternoon games as well, but only on Sundays or Thanksgiving Day.

While I’m on the subject, I also think the Argos should try to create traditions, like what Hamilton and Calgary have done with their Labour Day Classics, to help rebuild their following. They shouldn’t steal the Labour Day Classic (a soon-to-be article), but rather make something of their own. Maybe the Civic Holiday Classic against the Montreal Alouettes or their QEW Rival Hamilton Tiger Cats. But even if they developed a tradition like this and it became popular, many fans still would not be very happy with a 5pm start.

Dear CFL:

Please, for the love of everything holy, stick to 7pm local time kick-offs on weekdays.

Yours truly,

Every fan in the CFL

What do you think?

…and that’s the Last Word

A Pint of NFL: Comparing the Seahawks and T.O. to That "Rocky Mountain" Beer

Posted on August 6, 2012November 5, 2021 by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Far be it from me to act like a beer snob and shun the big brand beers that come in gigantic boxes complete with a free t-shirt or baseball cap. Just because I almost exclusively drink premium beer doesn’t mean I won’t drink the big labels, whether I particularly like them or not. Sometimes it’s out of convenience, and other times it’s out of necessity – today was one of the former. I’m not sure who was responsible, but apparently someone from my last get-together at my house left for me a silver bullet way at the back of the fridge. The mountains were blue, so at the very least today’s beer was going to be crisp.

We were all young once, and we all made off like bandits with our father’s beer. Did we care what he drank? Of course not. We drank it because it was new, made us older, and helped us to fit in. Call it a rite of passage. For my father, Coors Light was the go-to beer. Fine by me. I usually prefer to drink my beer out of a glass. Call it pretentious, that’s fine, it just feels better to me. Not wasting any time, perhaps because I wasn’t expecting too much, I poured my beer and took a big sip. Crisp, for certain, if not cold. Actually, it was refreshing. Maybe the incredibly humid day had something to do with it, or the yard work I did moments before. Nonetheless, my beer was palatable, and the little blue mountains assured me that my senses are working, that it was in fact cold enough to consume. I love marketers.

As I placed my glass down on the patio table, my phone buzzed. It was the kind folks at ESPN who took it upon themselves to send me an E-Mail alert that Terrell Owens was signed by the Seattle Seahawks. Such nice people. As a part-time Bills fan (Steelers fan on weekdays) T.O., who once had me popping corn on Sundays, is still making news for the frills and thrills he professes to have left in the tank – not unlike my cold, yet getting slightly warmer in the sun, Coors Light. Better pick up the pace a bit. Cold Coors Light is one thing, and warm Coors Light is, well, piss.

One look at my “Widemouth” Coors Light bottle sitting beside my glass, and the picture of the “Wider-mouth” Terrell Owens picture on my Samsung, and I had my “A Pint of NFL” comparison.

Are we to believe there is much left in the tank? Is it all marketing, or is their substance to back up the hype? I’m talking about both the beer and the player, of course.

The Seattle Seahawks have announced they have signed the 38-year old receiver to a one-year contract, and NFL.com is pleased to report to me that, “At long last, Terrell Owens is back in the NFL“. Finally, I can sleep again. Thanks, NFL. Now, let’s get to Owens and what he can offer Seattle.

Message boards are alight with fans telling me that he ran a 4.45 second 40-yard dash during an impressive workout. I bet Usain Bolt can run about that, give or take, but doesn’t mean he can catch a football against NFL calibre corners. Okay, stupid example. It’s the Coors I tell ya! Which, by the way, is indeed very light both in colour and given the 4% alcohol content. What would you expect Seattle to say? He had an “okay” workout, was a little slow, but caught a few passes in the open? Pshaw.

In all fairness, he is only a couple of seasons removed from a decent campaign with the Bengals (almost 1000 yards, 9 TD’s), which was a sideshow act in itself given that #85 was there as well (I can’t keep track of his name any longer – Chad “Something”). Let’s be clear, Seattle is in a whole lot of trouble. Granted, Braylon Edwards is a decent enough signing for them despite his baggage, and with Antonio Bryant cut there is another hole that needs to be filled. But, Seattle, must it be filled by T.O.?

Here you go MENSA:

Terrell Owens is to Seattle as ______ is to Coors Light?

Answer: the aforementioned t-shirts, blue/grey rocky mountains, and baseball caps

Having poured my beer into a glass, I have foregone the assistance of the rocky mountain label to tell me if my beer is cold. Should I venture into the unknown and take a swig regardless? Wish me luck. Okay, getting a bit warm, but the barley taste is still there at least. I live on the edge.

I mentioned earlier that Seattle is a wounded animal right now, and the receiver position is certainly amongst its most troublesome areas. Who do they have that will draw attention? Rice is okay I suppose, but hasn’t put up top numbers in a few years. Edwards is a wild card for Pete Carroll, and Obomanu, Tate, Durham, Butler and Lockette will hardly scare anyone. I guess my point is that if you acknowledge you need help at receiver, I’m cool with giving T.O. a shot, but he can’t become your #1 or #2 target for Jackson or Flynn, can he? If you recognize how weak you are at that position, why is it just being addressed in August? I would have thought February through July, six months, would have been sufficient for coming up with some game plan.

Other teams have tried to get Owens on a bargain with the hopes of selling tickets and finding that star receiver that dominated for years. As I finish my Coors Light I can’t help but to think Seattle is falling into the trap of marketing first, football second. My beer wasn’t spectacular, but the Browns shirt that was inside my buddy’s 24-pack of beer apparently was (to him – I hate the Browns). So, you see, marketing is marketing, whether for a 38-year old football player who is past his prime, or an age-old beer that my father has been stocking for centuries, give or take. It’s not what’s on the outside that counts – it’s how many touchdowns you catch.

Follow me on Twitter @APintOfNFL

Feel free to check out my other “A Pint of NFL” entries

– A Pint of NFL: Jerry Jones

– A Pint of NFL: Ben Roethlisberger

NHL fans can find “NHL Happy Hour” entries here

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012