Novak Djokovic is known in the tennis world for doing impersonations of his fellow men’s and women’s competitors. Here is a clip of him after his match last night at the US Open being interviewed.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKj4PdWrK-o[/youtube]
This second clip is video of him doing the same two plus a few more impersonations at his practice for Wimbledon.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM6RUfeGLIE[/youtube]
Funny stuff indeed.
Less than 12 hours after the New York Daily News posted a report that Rick Ankiel had received HGH, Sports Illustrated is reporting that Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus is the latest athlete to be implicated in the internet pharmacy investigation.
According to the investigation, Glaus received multiple shipments of steroids and testosterone between September 2003 and May 2004 from the Signature Pharmacy in Orlando. Glaus missed most of the 2003 Angels season with shoulder problems and had season-ending shoulder surgery in 2004.
This is a huge black eye for Major League Baseball with now two players in less than 24 hours being named in the investigation. If Bud Selig ever thought steroid use wasn’t high in baseball, this internet pharmacy investigation is starting to prove otherwise.
Glaus joins Ankiel, Wade Wilson, Rodney Harrison and 10 WWE wrestlers as having received illegal performance enhancing drugs from the Signature Pharmacy.
Stay tuned folks, this is just getting started. I’d have to think we will start to see even more names coming out now.
This week
The UCONN Huskies will host their former Yankee Conference rivals the Maine Black Bears in their home opener at 7 PM.
Here are the rosters for the Huskies and the Black Bears.
The Line/Prediction
According to Chip Malafronte of the New Haven Register, UCONN is favored by 22.
My prediction is UCONN 55 Maine 14.
Tickets
As of the time of this post, there are tickets available.
Tickets to game, if available, may be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check the availability here.
Getting To The Game
Here is all the parking info you will need for the game, this link includes directions to Rentschler Field. Here is a Rentschler Field seating chart.
The parking lots will open up 4 hours before kickoff. Here is a list of the tailgating rules at the Rent.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
ESPN Regional has the television rights to the Big East Football games not being broadcast nationally. WTNH8 in New Haven and SNY will broadcast the game locally. Bob Picozzi and Doug Graber will be calling the game. The game can also be seen on Cox3 in Rhode Island, Altitude Sports in Denver and MASN in the Baltimore/Washington DC area.
Radio
For the 16th consecutive season, WTIC 1080-AM in Hartford serves as the flagship station for the UConn Radio Network. WTIC is the state’s only 50,000 watt signal and can be heard in 23 states and parts of Canada. Veteran UConn announcers Joe D’Ambrosio (play-by-play) and Wayne Norman (color commentary) return to call the action with Kevin Nathan on the sidelines. The UConn pregame show begins 90 minutes prior to kickoff and is hosted by Bob Joyce, while at home games, the UConn Tailgate Show will air two and a half hours prior to the game with Arnold Dean. UConn football games are also broadcast over the internet at WTIC.com. For a full list of stations on the WTIC/UCONN radio network, click here.
If you live in Maine, here is list of stations where to catch the game as well.
This Week
The New York Jets host the New England Patriots at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands of East Rutherford NJ on Sunday afternoon. It is the season opener for both teams. Game time is 1 p.m. It marks the start of the 48th season of Patriots football.Â
Here are the rosters for the Patriots and the Jets.
The Line/Prediction
As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo Sports is Patriots – 6.5 pts. The over/under is 41.Â
My prediction is Patriots 31, Jets, 21. Give the points, take the over.
Tickets
The game is reported as a sell out.
Tickets to game, if available, may be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check the availability here. Many times tickets are released in the last 48 hours prior to the game.
Getting To The Game
If you’re lucky enough to have tickets and you are going to the game make sure you check out the links.
Due to construction on a new Meadowlands Stadium, unless you have a premium parking pass there is no parking available at the Meadowlands facilities. You must park in the satellite lots and take the shuttles to the game.Â
There is NO TAILGATINGÂ IN THE SATELLITE LOTS.
Here is all the parking info you will need for the game, this link includes directions to Giants Stadium as well as prohibited items and anything else you need to know about the stadium. Here is a Giants Stadium seating chart.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
CBS is televising the game and we get the top announce team. The play-by-play duties will be handled by Jim Nantz, with Phil Simms doing game analysis.  See if you will receive this game on the CBS network.
Radio
The Patriots Rock Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBCN-FM 104.1 in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play and former Patriot Gino Capelleti does the color.
It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak and Andy Gresch and the pregame show at 10 a.m. along the network.
The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours.
For the low down on the Patriots Rock Radio Network and stations in your area.
If you are outside of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots Rock Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass which allows you to listen to any NFL game live. You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to.
This game will also be broadcast nationally on the Westwood One Radio Network. Bill Rosinski and Dan Reeves will call the game. Click on the link to find a station near you.
In what started out as another feel good story in MLB this season with Rick Ankiel returning to the big leagues, it could all go for naught as a New York Daily News report says that Ankiel received HGH from an internet pharmacy.
According to the report, Ankiel received a 12-month’s supply of HGH in 2004. HGH was banned by MLB in 2005.
In just 81 at-bats since his callup from Memphis, Ankiel is hitting .358 with 9 home runs and 29 RBIs. Ankiel had been leading the Pacific Coast League in home runs before he got the call.
Ankiel has been one of the reasons the Cardinals are 16-6 in their last 22 games and suddenly in contention for the division title in the NL Central.
Given everything the Cardinals have gone through this season, this would be the icing on the cake.
“This is the first I’ve heard of this,” Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty told The News yesterday. “If it’s true, obviously it would be very tragic, along with everything else we’ve had happen to us year.”
If this proves to be true, Ankiel can escape suspension from MLB by proving he didn’t use it before it was banned by MLB. If he is found to have used it after it was banned, he would probably face a 50-game suspension.
This all stems from the same investigation that involved Rodney Harrison from the New England Patriots, the 10 WWE wrestlers and Cowboys QB coach Wade Wilson. If these allegations prove to be true, this is just another slap in the face to Bud Selig and MLB.
After Tim Wakefield struggled last night, three Boston relievers came in and shut the door on the Orioles last night. One of those relievers was Clay Buchholz. He was making his first appearance since last Saturday’s no-hitter. Buchholz struggled with his control for the first three batters he faced then settled down retiring the last 8 he faced. Cinco Ocho came on and was his dominant self. Coco Crisp and Big Papi hit home runs for the Sox but the biggest hit of the night came when Jason Varitek hit a single to drive in Crisp with the eventual winning running. The youth movement continues as Jon Lester gets the ball tonight but before he does, let’s take a look at the headlines from the Boston and Baltimore area on this beautiful morning along the shoreline of Connecticut.
Sox wear down Orioles [Boston Globe]
Different Look, Same Result [Washington Post]
Another Beauty From Clay [Hartford Courant]
No change for Orioles [Baltimore Sun]
New role, same results [Boston Herald]
Sox keep Orioles grounded [Pro Jo]
Still Putting Forth Effort [Washington Post]
Rookie has been using the Palmer method [Boston Globe]
Waiting for resurgence acts as great test of faith [Baltimore Sun]
Drew tries to get right [Boston Herald]
Reliever Burres confident he’ll return to form [Baltimore Sun]
Crisp Finds Power Stride [Hartford Courant]
Mirabelli can’t shake injury bug [Pro Jo]
Buchholz didn’t buckle [Boston Globe]
For more headlines and stories, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Providence Journal, Hartford Courant, Baltimore Sun, and Washington Post websites.
A couple of Double-A callups are paying dividends for the Diamondbacks.
Vlad was a late scratch from the Angels lineup with a sore tricep muscle.
Russel Martin was back in the Dodgers lineup after missing the last game with a knee injury.
Why did the A’s let Esteban Loiaza go through waivers?
Randy Winn has been pretty consistent for the Giants this season.
Jose Guillen has had a good year for the Mariners on the field and in the clubhouse.
The players from the Padres don’t wear their wedding rings on the field.
The Rangers future has a lot of power.
Rockies assistant hitting coach Mike Bard won’t be helping his brother Josh out when he comes to town.
A solo home run by David Ortiz and some timely pinch-hitting by Jason Varitek led the Red Sox to a 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Tim Wakefield was ineffective today as he gave up 6 runs in 3 2/3 innings and he was bailed out by his bullpen. Kyle Synder, Clay Buchholz and Jonathan Papelbon came in and held the O’s scoreless the rest of the way. Buchholz was making his first appearance as a reliever for the Sox and his first since his no-hitter last Saturday night.
The Orioles came out wearing uniforms of the 1932 Baltimore Black Sox got on the scoreboard first. After Wake got Brian Roberts for the first out, Tike Redman hit a single and stole second with Nick Markakis at the plate. Markakis ending up working a walk. Miguel Tejada, who has always had good numbers against Wake, brought in Redman from second with a single to make it 1-0 Black Sox. Wake then got former teammate Kevin Millar to fly out and then issued a walk to Aubrey Huff to load up the bags for Melvin Mora. Wake escaped any further trouble as Mora grounded out to Dustin Pedroia. The run ended Wake’s 22 consecutive scoreless innings streak.
Boston finally got to Orioles starter Garrett Olson in the 3rd inning. Coco Crisp led off the inning with a single and went to second on a Doug Mirabelli single. When Mirabelli got to first, Terry Francona and the trainer came out to look at Mirabelli, who looked to be injured. He showed them he wasn’t and Julio Lugo stepped up the plate. Lugo brought in Coco to tie the game at 1. Mirabelli only got as far as second base and right after that, came out of the game for a pinch-runner, Royce Clayton. Mirabelli was later diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. A few wacky plays happened next. First, Pedroia hit a comeback liner to Olson, which he knocked down. Instead of going to second or third, he went to first for the sure out. Replays showed he could have gotten the lead two runners out. Big Papi followed that up with a comebacker to Olson as well who looked Clayton back and threw to first for the out. Clayton who was 1/2 down the line when Olson looked him back, scored easily on the throw to first. Clayton’s run gave the Sox a 2-1 lead. Olson finished off the strange inning by getting Mike Lowell to fly out.
After a Redman ground out to start the 3rd, Markakis hit a double to deep right. Wake then got Tejada to fly out but Millar followed the out up with a 2-run blast to put the O’s back on top. The scoring didn’t stop though as Huff hit a double and came around to score on a Mora single for a 4-1 O’s lead. After Mora stole second, Ramon Hernandez grounded out for the final out of the 3rd.
The visiting nine from Fenway got the lead back for Wake in the 4th. Olsen sandwiched a strikeout between walks of Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew. Both moved up 90 feet on an Olson wild pitch and ended up coming around to score when Coco deposited an Olson pitch into the seats for a 3-run homer and 5-4 Red Sox lead. Olson ended his night with a strikeout of Kevin Cash who came in for Mirabelli. Rocky Cherry came in and retired Lugo for the final out.
The Orioles made that lead short-lived as they got two runs back in their half of the 4th. After Wake got the first two outs of the inning easily, Redman singled and came around to score on a Markakis double to tie the game at 5. Tejada followed that with a single bringing in Markakis for a 6-5 O’s lead. Kyle Synder came in and got Millar to strikeout for the final out.
Just as this tennis match had been going, the Red Sox came right back. After Pedroia made the first out of the inning, Big Papi launched a solo homer to tie the game at 6. Cherry settled down as he got Lowell and Youk for the final two outs of the inning.
 Â
The New England Patriots cheerleaders are hitting the road this season and it’s not for football games. The Patriots cheerleaders will be out and about throughout New England during the football season spreading the word about Patriots football, bringing joy to small children and smiles to faces of men everywhere.
In order to keep this post neat and efficient I am going to list the Connecticut events and anything else I consider worthy of a mention. I will also provide you with this link where you can see the entire Patriots cheerleader appearance schedule.
One of the cool things is that Bob’s Discount Furniture is the official furniture store of the Patriots and the cheerleaders are making regular appearances at Bob’s Discount Furniture Store’s throughout New England this fall.
I never realized a team needed an “official furniture store” but hey if it puts me that much closer to a Patriots cheerleader or two I am all for it.
The schedule kicks off this Friday September 7th. Pats cheerleaders will be in four Massachusetts towns Franklin, Boston, South Yarmouth and Springfield. The Boston event is a charity auction while the other three are Grand Opening’s for new stores of various types.
Sunday they will be in Portland ME and Providence RI to help kick off the season.
Then on Monday September 17th, Monday October 15th and Monday December 10th the cheerleaders will be at various Bob’s Furniture stores throughout New England from 7p-9p. The CT stores they will appear at on those dates are:
Newington CT, Manchester CT, Orange CT, Bridgeport CT, Southington CT, and Niantic CT.
Hopefully through the three appearances they will send different girls each time so the fans have a chance to meet more of the squad.
The following Patriots cheerleaders hail from the Constitution State:
Cortney Bennett, Kelly Looke and Jessica Wanzie. While they’re great make sure you check out the entire 2007 squad here.
They also have a 2008 swimsuit calendar coming out so it might be cool to get one and have them sign it at some of the appearances.
