After the NHL Trade Deadline
 

Sorry Trev...you know how it goes...:D

Let's talk NHL for a sec...

Now that the trade deadline has passed, here's my take on what transpired:

Most Improved: Vancouver, Los Angeles & Montreal
Most Pathetic: Toronto (as usual)|jester|
Firesale Team: New York Islanders
Fine Tuned: Buffalo, Ottawa, Edmonton, Philly, Carolina, New York Rangers & Edmonton
Best Trade: Montreal (The-Odour For Aebischer):D
Worst Trade: Roloson for a 1st and 3rd rounder??

Best Prepared For The Playoffs: Still too early to tell but I'm really liking the Sabres, the 'Canes, the Stars and the Flames.

- any thoughts?

|huh

We got rid of our 3rd goalie for a draft pick - how is that fine tuning?

The NFL Players Association managed to ensure in the sport's new labor deal that no player will be punished in the foreseeable future the same way that wide receiver Terrell Owens was sanctioned by the Philadelphia Eagles this past season. A provision in the agreement prohibits a team from deactivating a player for disciplinary reasons, union officials said.
-- Washington Post


Well, they can still be benched at least...

Simple...since nothing was added directly to the roster for the push for the Stanley Cup, what else would you call it? In fact, by getting rid of that 3rd player (and paycheck) they have 'fine tuned' the whole Sabres machine, if you will. Obviously, management feels this team is good enough to challenge and take it all - a feeling I share with them. Mind you, teams like Ottawa did a greater version of fine tuning. Besides, fine tuning a team is relative to the team.

Benching is good.

I agree they should not be able to not pay him (did he get paid actually?) They guarantee salary that's the way it is, live with it. If you bench him too bad, eat his salary.

The next team ought to be smart and sign an idiot like Owens to a performance based contract. Like the Leafs did with Lindros in case he got his head knocked off early in the season.

He got paid all but 4 games, I think he missed 10 toal?

From what CNNSI is saying its really looking like it will be KC.

I'd call it "doing nothing"

Noronen was the 3rd goalie. He's been scratched from every game since Miller came back from injury & when Miller was out, he barely played since Biron was on fire.

Had they added some no name player, like a new 3rd line RW, then yes, I'd call it "fine tuning". But this move does not even effect the Sabres roster because he hasn't been in the line up in months.

Would you call it "fine tuning" if the Seahawks traded David Greene for a draft pick at the NFL trade deadline?

(I'll save you the time of looking up who he is - 3rd string QB that had no effect on their team all year)

Yes I would actually. If that was the only deal that the team made at the trade deadline then YES it is fine tuning. It all depends on how you look at it. Fine tuning a roster by adding a player or deleting a player or trading for a pick is indeed fine tuning. I also think that if Biron had not caught fire this season, they would have 'fine tuned' his out the door. (I like the Seattle analogy by the way - it made this Steelers fan smile) Regardless of what transpired, the Sabres cannot be ignored. They quite possibly have the best goalie tandem in the entire league.

Pete Rose
 

Pete Rose was on Bill Marh last night, he was pretty funny over all and he made some good points on steroids and other drugs and mentioned how "he was the clean one but banned for life."

I actually wanted to ask this before I saw Pete, so I will ask it now.

Steroids and or Drugs in Sports: where do we draw the line?

Barry Bonds, arguably one of the top 5 baseball players of all time is now be accused of juicing and there is a movement that wants to erase all his records and kick him out of the game completely.

Bill March asked, what about other players on coke and pot, should they also have their records erased and kicked from the game? LT was high on coke for the Super Bowl, should the Giants have their title taken away?

I personally do not care about steroids, there has been “cheating” in sports since the dawn of time from corked bats, to stickem to flopping. And as for betting on baseball as is Pete’s case, big fucking deal, he never bet against his team and that is the only thing that would have changed the game. Pete is also one of the Top 5 players in baseball history, but banned for life over IMHO nothing that hurt anyone or caused a different outcome in any game and did nothing other then gave baseball a black-eyed that it has always had.

Pete mention how the 1994 strike helped create this monster problem of steroids when MLB was trying to get fans to come back, and they came back to see the long ball, so baseball is where it is now due to steroids and now that everyone knows it, they want to black list the very people who saved baseball for doing the very thing that saved it.
|confused|

Cards agree to deal with free-agent RB James
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2365467

The Cardinals made a big splash in the free-agent market Sunday, agreeing in principle to a contract with running back Edgerrin James, a source close to the team told ESPN.com.

James' deal is for four years, the Arizona Republic reported, although financial terms were not immediately available.

The Colts, who believed they had a "50-50" chance of retaining the two-time rushing champion, were faced with salary-cap restrictions.
_____________________________

Nice pickup for AZ, I think they will regret Warner, but they are starting to put together a good team.

Browns are making some good moves as well.

Hey Torn, that is huge news out of Sun Devils stadium. Adding James to the likes of Fitzgerald and Boldin, makes the Cards 'appear' to be somewhat of an offensive threat. If Kurt Warner ever gets back to his LA Rams 'glory days' type success, then the Cards could scoop up a wild card this upcoming season. And if that happends then good for them! Its about time they have a better claim to fame than being the NFL team of focus on the movie Jerry Maguire.|jester|

Just when I start singing the praises of the Sabres and Lindy Ruff, this has to happen: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=158313&hubname= :(
I hope to |buddy| this child gets well soon.

Okay, NOW I'm pissed
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2365504

This salary cap business is killing my team.

holy shit the Bidwells finally made a good move and spent some money... I guess giving them the stadium they were promised in '87 or so made them a bit happier :D

Shhhh, don't say that to loudly. They still have money to spend on defense, and they can still screw it up.

Speaking of... I'm hoping they don't sign Chris Hope. In the pittsburgh vs Browns game this year he was beaten by everybody but the water boy... to bad the Browns dropped most of the passes..... and Droughns ran over him 3 times. He hasn't impressed me any time I've seen him.

I would love to land LaVar Arrington, though. I think he would a great outside backer in a 3-4 defense. Doesn't look like they're trying to hard to get him, though.

The browns would be lucky to land a hi-caliber player like Chris Hope. Too bad they only get fired up when they play the Steelers. 1 game/per season is nothing to write home about. :D

Fired up? They dropped most of the passes, as I said. In the second game they got plain old bitch slapped. Most of these players have no clue about the rivalry and couldn't care less.

That wasn't a steelers thing. I was just talking about a player. He's a free agent... he's not even a steeler right now. In every pburgh game I saw, he was beaten on a regular basis. I never let who they play or played for color my opinion of a player.

Vikings Shipping Culpepper To Miami
 

Daunte Culpepper finally got want he wanted: He's out of Minnesota. Len Pasquarelli reports that the Vikings are sending the disgruntled quarterback to the Dolphins for a second-round pick

______________


Damn, so much for Brees....

Damn....
 

Brees agreed to a six-year, $60 million deal with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday. The deal includes a $10 million signing bonus

The excitement surrounding the Cardinals' signing of Edgerrin James apparently is prompting some to reach for the wallets. The Cardinals brought in their full ticket staff Sunday about noon, soon after the four-year, $30 million deal with James was reached. On a normal day off, the staff stayed until about 7 p.m., and, according to team officials, they were kept busy by ticket requests received over the phone and the Internet through Monday.
-- Arizona Republic

Damn is right. Why would Breez go to a SHITTY team like that? Ok other than money. You'd think he'd get offered something similar on a good team.

Edgerin James to Arizona? Another dummy.

From what the local news is saying, the Phins really wanted Brees, but was scared of his injury and the $10 million guaranteed.

But they also said the Phins have not had their own Drs look at Culpepper, so they signed him in good faith which could hurt them big time if Culpepper is worse off then they think.

I was hoping for the Raiders when I found out Culpepper was in Miami, NO is in a shitty place both over all team and of course the city, but they did say once they made signing Brees official, season ticket sales jumped in NO.

BTW, as a Colt’s fan I’m sad to see Edge, and now Thorton, go but in the case of Edge I think he is doing a good thing, AZ is really rebuilding and has a good foundation.

Colts said they had 2 Free Agents they wanted to work hard to keep, Thorton who is now a Titian, and Edge who is a Card.... Someone needs to explain to the Colts what "working hard" with FA's is all about.

yeah Torn ever since the owners of the Cardinals got the deal for the new state of the art stadium they have changed their ways of doing things and are putting a good team together... the new stadium is about 5 minutes from me and with Edge in the backfield I will be there at least a few times this season... I was thinking that they might go after a big name QB in free agency, it was big news that they got Edge, and Warner won't last the season and with his chronic thumb problems he just isn't the same anymore, the ball wobbles every time he throws... maybe they are planning on the draft to try and get a QB


has it been posted here that Key got cut from the cowboys? http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cf...F4AA9780C8C00C

T.O. might be headed to dallas

Wow... Tennessee got lucky with a 2 point win with .4 left.

Pacific ran out of gas vs BC in 2 OT, but they looked good until late in the first OT, BC just had more legs.

Chris Lofton is a hell of a shooter . . . Go Vols :D

I picked A&M over 'Cuse... no reason other then I just thought 'Cuse 15 mins was up.

#14 NWST beat #3 Iowa with a last second 3.... damn that is a huge upset.|shocking|

Is the city of Dallas aware there are NCAA games being played there? I saw a story on ESPN how sad the turn out was there, but I just saw it for myself and the arena looked half full if that. I’m thinking this will be the last time the NCAA is in Dallas for a long time.

people in Dallas don't care about college b-ball, they just got themelves some T.O.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2373488

now they will all cheer when he runs out to the big star in the middle of their field :D

Bradely over Pitt? |crazy|

wow.... good game! |thumb

Goodbye Tarheels!:D

Hello George Mason!|bananna|

What I find most surprising about the tournament, is there are no Big 10 teams remaining.

yeah we suck... but we have a motto in the Big Ten, "wait till next year" ;)

I really thought Ill, Iowa and MSU would make it to the Sweet 16 at least.|huh

Very surprised Iowa didn't make it. George Mason looked good too taking out UNC. Funny thing is a lot of these lower seed teams from 7-11 or so look like better teams than previous year's low seeds.

I just remembered the last time the Big Ten went out early they made a big deal out of it and how bad the Big Ten sucked, then the next year MSU won it, so this is all just part of the master plan.|devil|

NFL says commissioner Tagliabue to retire in July.
 

No story up as yet, but I thought he would after they agreed to the new CBA.

I think he did a great job and will be missed.

I agree, Tagliabue is a stand up guy and always seems to take the best intrest of the game to heart.

Hi! Im new here and im also interested in a lot of sports particularly boxing and basketball... im rooting for grizzlies and lakers but if i were to choose one then i'll choose memphis coz there an underrated team... i like underdog team... i also like boxing since im a Filipino and of course i root for our boxing icon Manny Paquiao :D i wish i could watch NCAA here but i dont have a cable... hehehe maybe it's a good thing that i dont watch NCAA or else i won't get my job done at work because im fond of reading NBA news... hehehe have a nice day folks!

Vinatieri agrees in principle to deal with Colts
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2378824

I must say I am shocked by this...|shocking| Happy tho!:D

Damn... Duke and Gonzaga.... now I have no one left to root for.|huh