NBA
– Heat’ F Chris Bosh, a former Raptor, finally told a Miami newspaper about how he really feels about the city of Toronto. Bosh describes the city as a ‘different’ and unfamiliar destination.
“I didn’t want to go there. It was different. All I knew was Vince Carter was there and I never saw him play on TV. It was a whole different country, and it was just different. I’m 19 years old, I didn’t know anything about culture and being away from home. All I know is the States…Toronto’s a great place, a fantastic city. It’s a metropolitan area, but you could tell you’re somewhere different. You could feel it, you could look at it, you can smell it. Everything. All your senses tell you you’re somewhere different. You can smell it.”
The city smells different. Really. Check the latest edition of The Peep Show for my full thoughts on this.
– Raptors’ GM Bryan Colangelo said that the Raps’ second-half decline last season may have been because F Chris Bosh had already mentally checked out of Toronto. In an interview with The FAN590, Colangelo suggested Bosh returned from last February’s all-star weekend a changed man, and the team suffered as a result.
“I’ve talked so much about those voices that could have been speaking to him at all-star (weekend). I think it’s pretty obvious now what some of those voices were.
“Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn’t quite into it down the stretch, he wasn’t the same guy and I think everyone saw that. It’s just no one wanted to acknowledge it.”
Colangelo pointed out that entering the all-star break the Raptors had tied a franchise record with 29 wins.
“It seemed like everything was rolling along. But then the wheels fell off. Part of that was because Chris got hurt.”
Bosh injured his ankle on February 17 and would miss the next six games. Colangelo said Monday it was an injury at a key point in the season that Bosh might have been able to play through.
“Despite limited swelling and any excessive damage on an MRI, he felt like he needed to sit for six more games. I’m not even questioning Chris’ injury. I’m telling you he was cleared to play subject to tolerance on his part, and the tolerance just apparently wasn’t there and he chose not to play.”
Colangelo added he doesn’t believe any tampering occurred between players and he gave Heat president Pat Riley credit for creating the salary cap space to accommodate Bosh, Dwayne Wade and LeBron James.
“I don’t know what to say other than we had a tough season, based on the timing of that injury and that sequence,” said Colangelo.
– Grizzlies’ rookie G Greivis Vasquez (bone spur in right ankle) has undergone successful surgery that is expected to sideline him until late September for training camp. Vasquez was injured while playing in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
– The Warriors have signed G Jannero Pargo to a 2-year/$2.4M deal. Pargo averaged 5.5 points and 1.4 assists in 63 games with the Bulls last season.
– The Celtics have re-signed G Marquis Daniels. The seven-year veteran missed 28 games with a torn ligament in his left thumb that required surgery and averaged a career-low 5.6 points in 51 games.
– The Heat have re-signed F Shavlik Randolph. Randolph appeared in six games last season with the Heat and Blazers.
NHL
– The Capitals have re-signed F Tomas Fleischmann to a 1-year/$2.6M deal. Fleischmann is coming off a career-best season in 2009-10, where he scored 23 goals and 28 assists in 69 games and made the Czech Republic squad for the Vancouver Olympics.
– The Penguins will host the Capitals in the 4th installment of the Winter Classic on January 1 at Heinz Field. Penguins’ F Max Talbot has added more fuel to the fire that is the growing rivalry between the Penguins and Capitals. In an interview with 105.9 The X to promote next season’s Winter Classic between the two teams, the Penguins forward said Ovechkin was a “real douche” and he didn’t like the Capitals star.
“I just hate the guy. I can’t lie. Sorry. Even more so for a guy like Ovechkin. Like, seriously, okay … yeah. I don’t like him.
“The first time I met him, actually, when I met him off the ice. You hear a lot of stories about a guy, but sometimes they’re not true. You hear of guys who are not good guys, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, okay, I’ll give the guy a shot.’ The first time I met him, let’s say he didn’t give the best impression to me, so better reason to hate him even more.”
Talbot also said his hatred for the Russian sniper grew stronger at the NHL Awards following Pittsburgh’s Stanely Cup win in 2009.
“I was actually at the NHL Awards last summer with (Evgeni) Malkin, and we brought the Stanley Cup over there after the season. Malkin knew Ovechkin, and introduced me to him, and the first impression wasn’t great. I’m not really going to say what happened, but I’m like, ‘Ok, this guy is a real douche.’”
I’ve got a lot to say about Ovie, but I’ll save it for another time. Not a fan of him as a player or as a human being.
– The Lightning have signed F Chris Durno to a 1-year deal. Durno recordedfour goals and eight points in 41 games with the Avs last season. He also played in 17 games with Lake Erie last season, recording 10 goals and 18 points.
– The Coyotes have re-signed F Alexandre Picard to a 1-year deal and F Bracken Kearns to a 1-year/2-way contract. Picard was acquired by the Coyotes from Columbus on March 3 but did not appear for the team in an NHL game. He played in nine games for the Blue Jackets before the deal and did not score. The 29-year-old Kearns had 15 goals, 36 assists and 99 penalty minutes in 80 games last season for Rockford of the AHL.
MLB
– The Yankees and Red Sox are considered the frontrunners for Jays’ LHP Scott Downs.
– Royals’ RHP Gil Meche (shoulder) will undergo season-ending surgery. Meche, 31, has been on the DL since May 29 with what the club described as bursitis in the shoulder. Meche has battled injuries the past two seasons. He has one year left on a 5-year/$55M deal.
– Andre “The Hawk” Dawson has officially been inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. Dawson, who endured 12 knee surgeries during an impressive 21-year career, was inducted Sunday into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming just the 203rd player in the game’s long history to receive the honour. Dawson is an 8-time all-star, recording 438 homers, 2,774 hits, 1,591 RBIs and 314 stolen bases in his career from 1976-96. He’s one of just three players to have recorded 400 homers and 300 steals.
“Thank you for welcoming this rookie to your team. It’s an honour beyond words. I didn’t play this game with this goal in mind, but I’m living proof that if you love this game, the game will love you back. I am proof that any young person who can hear my voice right now can be standing here as I am.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the game of baseball. Baseball will, from time to time like anything else in life, fall victim to the mistakes that people make. It’s not pleasant and it’s not right. Individuals have chosen the wrong road, and they’re choosing that as their legacy. Those mistakes have hurt the game and taken a toll on all of us.
NFL
– Redskins’ DE Albert Haynesworth will reportedly arrive early for training camp Wednesday in an effort to “reach out” to coach Mike Shanahan. According to Chris Russell of 980 ESPN, Haynesworth has lost over 40 pounds and is “definitely in good shape.” It’s now believed that Haynesworth has accepted that “this is where he’s going to be.” Still driven primarily by financial considerations, he’s opted against risking a portion of his $21M bonus by trying force his way out of D.C.
VoV
Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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