the 4th star

That was fun, wasn’t it?

Thankfully, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers saw the light and decided against bringing in Pacman Jones for the second half of the season. The web-chat/video/or whatever the fuck it was that he put out today certainly didn’t help his cause, but I’m guessing the the Bombers ran into a few hurdles at the border — too much trouble than it’s worth — and decided to move on.

The Bombers deny that, of course. Mike Kelly, going down swinging:

“After deliberating and further investigating, we feel at this time it is not in the best interest of our football club to pursue Adam Jones and wish him all the luck in his future endeavours. This has nothing to do with his ability to get across the border. It was instigated by me and then having further discussions with Lyle that I just didn’t feel it was in the best interest of our football club to include Adam Jones.”

Like always, the Bombers head coach then searched for someone to blame and when he couldn’t blame his schemes or not putting his players in the right position, he directed a few barbs at the media and his own director of player personnel John Murphy for creating the firestorm:

“Here’s what’s unfortunate: people in our organization and outside our organization jumped the gun. When I stood there and said we would do our due diligence  – and we look at a lot of football players and pursue a lot of football players – and then we want to find out about the rest of the package above and beyond the physical tools. When all this broke, our due diligence was not complete at that time. Information was released and presumptions made that were inappropriate at that time.”

Kelly is actually right on this one. It is unfortunate. It’s unfortunate his talent hound would rather find his name on the Sports Illustrated website than actually look for players who actually have a future in the game. Just for laughs, here’s Murphy one more time, losing control of his own message:

“And at the same time it’s a business decision as well as football decision. From a marketing standpoint, a business standpoint and a football standpoint, I could go to 100 NFL training camps and every preseason game and more people will hear and know about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the next two weeks — from the coverage we’ll receive — than in the last 10 years.”

Yes, boys and girls. Wins in the CFL are now given for the amount of coverage your team receives in the United States. If you add the moral victories with the international media mentions, the Blue and Gold should be above the .500 mark.

Million dollar question time: Who looks bad here?

Topping the list is Murphy. He probably won’t show up in Winnipeg again this year. He’s as good as gone, one has to think, the perfect whipping boy for a season that has been a nightmare from a public relations stand point.

Some will think the excitable local media (myself included) has looked bad. Personally, I have to tone it down a bit. Granted, it’s hard to blame everyone after being led down the Pacman path by Murphy, Jones himself, and his representatives. It is a national (or international) story and the amount of ink and video tape used for the story is justified. Having said that, wasting resources on interviews with strippers about the possibility of Jones and discussions with fans about a player not coming to town is a bit much. Why not do a story on how Bomber fans feel about Tom Brady not coming to Winnipeg?

Of course, the Bombers look bad. Colour this season bad. They look like buffoons, pure and simple, and have taken their act to a national level. Kelly’s weekly combative press conference made the rounds across the country. Murphy should be happy with that. Listen, bringing Jones in for a fifth chance at professional football was a stretch of the moral fibre to begin with, not to mention the fact that no one knows if he can actually play anymore. And with all this front page distraction and communications bumbling, the Bombers are still without a viable option to return punts for them.

Oh well. Maybe the team can bring in Jason Armstead for another look.

What?

A few thoughts about the biggest call-in show deflection story of the week:

1. I find it hilarious that no one has bothered to ask if the Winnipeg Blue Bombers even need a guy like Pacman Jones on the field. He hasn’t played in 10 months and when he was with Dallas, he was less than effective.

The Cowboys traded for Jones before the season even though he had been suspended in 2007 because of a series of off-field incidents. Jones, expected to give the Cowboys a boost on defense and special teams, had no interceptions and averaged just 4.6 yards per punt return.

In fact, the few Dallas fans I know, the guys who eat, sleep and breathe Cowboys football, suggested Wade Phillips was doing everything he could to not put Jones on the field last season. It’s not like the Bombers defence needs that much help, anyway. And the kick return game? Well, let’s just see how Jones handles the bigger ball and no-yards rule before we declare him an upgrade at that position.

2. Sorry Lyle Bauer. The idea that several players with troubled pasts have come to Canada to turn their careers around is not only completely false, but not a valid excuse to give a five-time loser another chance. Just because it worked with Ricky Williams and Mike Sellars doesn’t make it right for Canadian Football League teams to bend over backwards for these guys. I have no problem with second chances. Everyone deserves a second chance when they admit their guilt and humbly strive to better their situations. Fifth or sixth chances afforded to a guy who doesn’t get it? I’m sorry. I think a lot of people would look at the Bombers a lot different today (and the majority would be on their side) if they stood up and declared that they were not like the other teams. That the quality of a man matched the quality of the talent on the field. It’s not like the WBB is winning, anyway.

3. I’ve also noticed a few members of the media all bent out of shape over how John Murphy — the man who clearly will take the bullet for this season — went blabbing to Sports Illustrated before talking to the local guys. Like the the Bombers owed them that courtesy. Question: At what point under this current administration did you get the idea that the football team has any idea what it is doing with regards to communication? It is no shock whatsoever the Bombers let this leak out to SI. These guys have no clue.

4. And did anyone make it down for the Fred Reid autograph signing today?

UPDATE: Thanks to KevinO for No. 5. His late afternoon e-mail reminded me to get this link up. As always, some damn good stuff.

For those of you wondering, this does not mean that Cory Schneider will calling up Lou Furlan or belting out “Hot Legs” with the sleep-deprived Rod Peeler at Moxie’s after Manitoba Moose games the next two months. Sure, his future as a starting goaltender with the Vancouver Canucks is done, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to lock into a long-term lease in Royalwood or Tuxedo anytime soon. Wouldn’t be surprised to hear his camp has already put in a trade request now that the writing is on the wall.

I think Luongo’s deal all but guarantees that Schneider will be dealt before the end of the season. As the Canucks creep towards a post season appearance and identify what it is that they need to make it out of the second round this decade, the American goaltender is the perfect chip to dangle out there. The consensus is Schneider will be an NHL starter at some point, so why wouldn’t a club in need of goaltending (Los Angeles and Philadelphia come to mind) want this guy? He was only the best netminder not playing in the National Hockey League last season.

The Flyers. Yes, someone start up the Jeff Carter rumours again.

Or maybe I have this all wrong. Maybe Schneider is still in Vancouver’s plans. I mean, once Luongo’s deal is up Schneider will only be 35-years-old. Fifteen years. That’s probably enough American Hockey League seasoning, eh?

In the National Hockey League, this past summer has been all about the money. There was the unrestricted free agent *frenzy.* That was around the same time the Phoenix Coyotes financial problems came into the spotlight, when BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie threw his two cents into the fray and the league kept talking out of both sides of its mouth. You know, the place they seem reluctant to put their money in.

Screwed up contracts — both legitimate Chicago fuck-ups and the over-spending variety — became commonplace, and some players decided to gamble on the bigger payday in Russia. Terms like “escrow” and “cap numbers” came to be a part of the conversation, too. Then there was even more change — and even less sense — from Patrick Kane, who allegedly tag-teamed a Buffalo cab driver with his cousin over 20 cents.

It seems talk of climbing out of this recession has put money on the mind and our mind on the money, so in the spirit of cash, let’s take a look at all 21 teams 30 teams as training camps get set to fire up this month. Like most financial ventures, some teams will offer a greater return than others.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

Pacific Division
2008-09 record: 42-33-7, second in the division, eighth in the conference
Cap space: $4.720 million

Tip sheet:
Despite finishing nine games in the black, the Ducks were just two games above .500 at the Honda Center…Knocked off the San Jose Sharks in the opening round last spring, further developing the growing California rivalry…GM Bob Murray is one of the more underrated minds in the game…Apparently Randy Carlyle used to work for the Manitoba Moose.

Fun fact:
Jonas Hiller, the Ducks starting goaltender, lives in Newport Beach during the hockey season and enjoys playing tennis and beach volleyball. His favourite bands include Metallica and Nickelback.

You should really invest in this club because…
Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. The Ducks made the investment, locking these studs up until the 2013-14 season. Anaheim’s hopes fly with these two.

The bottom will fall out with…
The absence of Chris Pronger. Say what you will about the law bending of Pronger, but he was an effective player for Carlyle. Major minutes every night in key situations. Doubt Ryan Whitney will be able to fill the physical void.

Key acquisition:
Saku Koivu. Could be the sleeper signing of the summer.

Bottom line:
Should be better than an eighth place operation this time around. Getzlaf will be the key. If he goes down for any period of time, the Ducks won’t move up in the conference and will struggle for another post season appearance. If they get in, though, look out.

After ignoring a 25 year layoff, with three of those spent begging to play, I have decided to make a triumphant return to the beautiful game. In a stunning act of charity, the Crescentwood Saturday Soccer Club has done the unthinkable and allowed me to play with them in the Winnipeg Soccer Division this summer. If I can score one goal this year, I’d be pretty happy. Judging from my inconsistent play, my teammates would be equally ecstatic, too. Here’s the weekly update:

Nothing really important to report this week. The CSSC won again, a 3-0 victory over London Dry FC. The score should have been 10-0, but I couldn’t seem to find my bearings in the box. Not going to lie, it wasn’t the best performance from yours truly last night. Must be all this Pacman stuff — it’s really weighing on my shoulders. Not the fact he’s playing here but the realization that I can no longer go to strip clubs for fear of being paralyzed. It’s a legitimate concern. Anyway, the team won and I didn’t score. Nice to know everything is back to normal.

Coed soccer sucks.

It’s school time again! You’re probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and maybe even a new school. Luckily, these “new” worries only stick around for a little while.

Most teachers kick off the school year by introducing themselves and talking about all the stuff you’ll be doing that year. Some teachers give students a chance to tell something about themselves to the rest of the class. When teachers do the talking on the first day, they often go over classroom rules so you’ll know what’s allowed and what’s not. Pay close attention so you’ll know if you need to raise your hand to ask a question and what the rules are about visiting the restroom.

You might already know a lot of people in your classes on the first day. But it’s a great day to make a new friend, so try to say hello to kids you know and new ones that you don’t. Make the first move and you’ll be glad you did and so will your new friend!

(Thanks KH)