Hot Sauce Sports

BJ Ryan Out for the Season?

2007-04-15T20:15:00.000-05:00

This, at least in the hearts of Toronto Blue Jay fans, is the year the Jays are supposed to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox and make a real run at winning the AL East. Today the quest hit an early season snag when closer BJ Ryan was put on the 15 day disabled list for a strained elbow.

However, the Blue Jays are apparently bracing themselves for the possibility that Ryan could be out for much longer than 15 days and possibly the season. Ryan had some trouble with the elbow during the opening week. However, it wasn't believed, at the time to be anything to keep him off the field. But, after blowing his second save of 2007 (he only had 4 in all of 2006) the Jays knew something was going on that required further medical attention.

Ryan will go to Alabama to meet with a renowned orthopaedic surgeon for further evaluation. While it is too soon to tell, Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi "said he couldn't rule out the possibility that the left-hander might have to undergo Tommy John elbow-ligament replacement surgery - an operation that would effectively end Ryan's season."

If that worst case scenario play out, it will be quite difficult for the Blue Jays to make a run at the pennant. Of course, the Yankees are dealing with their own injury issues with Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano heading to the DL. Its early, but these injuries, if severe, could play key roles in how both of these two teams do later in the year near playoff time.

Tennessee Coach Blasts Imus for Rutgers Comments

2007-04-11T11:09:00.000-05:00

Don Imus is getting hit from all corners for calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos." Even the coach for NCAA champs has had to take time out from celebrating to address the matter.

University of Tennessee Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt told Chris Yandek of TheSportsInterview.com regarding the matter, "Well, I just couldn't believe it. It was very unfortunate and obviously we were part of that game. I know Vivian very well. I know her student athletes. You are talking about young women that to me represent Rutgers University with a lot of class and obviously great competitive spirit. There is just no place for that comment. I am glad that at least at the present time that we got the exposure and Imus has obviously apologized a number of times. That really is very difficult to erase what has been said and the hurt that those kids have felt."

You can read the entire interview here.

Georgetown Squeaks By Vanderbilt

2007-03-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

Georgetown is heading to the Elite Eight on the back of a Jeff Green bucket with 2.5 seconds left on the clock to give the Hoyas a 66-65 win. The officials, busy looking for fouls, may have missed a travel on Green's winning shot.

Roy Hibbert was the player of the game putting in 12 points, while both Green and DaJuan Summers had 15 for the Hoyas. Derrick Byars and Dan Cage both dropped 17 for the Commodores.

Vanderbilt ended its season the way it began, with a loss to Georgetown. The Hoyas will face a tough next round taking on the winner of the North Carolina - USC matchup.

Flyers Trade Forsberg to Nashville

2007-02-15T20:22:00.000-05:00

The Philadelphia Flyers traded Peter Forsberg to Nashville, said sources this evening. In return to for their one time Team Captain, the Philadelphia picked up winger Scottie Upshall, prospect Ryan Parent as well as a first and third-round draft pick.

Forsberg was thought to be part of the "answer" when brought to Philadelphia, but struggled with a foot injury this year following off-season surgery. Forsberg was an unrestricted free agent so it is likely he would have left Philadelphia, who is experiencing a plain awful season, at the end of the year. It makes sense for Philadelphia to try to get something for Forsberg.

But, could they have gotten more? Maybe. Both Upshall, who has seen limited action this year, and Parent, who hasn't played NHL hockey this year, are projects (on the plus side, both are former first round picks so there is some potential). And, the first round choice from the Panthers will be low given the season the Predators are having. A third rounder is virtually useless, absent some atypical luck. It seems, despite battling the foot injury, that Forsberg might have more value in the trade market. Forsberg was still third on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 29 assists for 40 total points.

The Flyers have not yet officially announced the trade. However, the team did list Forsberg as a healthy scratch for tonight's game against Toronto. Confirmation could come after the game ends and Forsberg does have a no trade clause.

Did Philadelphia pull the trigger too soon, for too little? I have no doubt Flyers fans will have much to say on the subject in the coming days.

Tom Brady Booty Call?

2007-01-26T14:26:00.000-05:00

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is out of the playoffs, but he's certainly not out of action. He was filmed leaving the apartment of super model Gisele Bundchen.

Brady clearly didn't like the attention and tried to shoo off photographers. He even covered his head with a hood when walking from Gisele's pad to a cab. Most of us would have not only not worn a hood but we'd be doing a happy dance out in the street after that kind of score. Of course, that's why most of us aren't getting that kind of play. Nice work Tom, looks like you're going to have one hell of an offseason!

Al Unser Jr. DUI Bust

2007-01-26T14:17:00.000-05:00

Al Unser Jr obviously is famous for burning up the Indy race track at record speeds. Now, he has another record: a criminal one. Al Jr., according to TMZ, was busted for driving under the influence and and "leaving the scene of a crash on a Nevada freeway."

TMZ has obtained Al Jr.'s mugshot from the arrest and reports that no one was injured in the crash. Luckily for him, it didn't turn out like Nick Nolte's.

Jarret Stoll Scores With Rachel Hunter?

2007-01-25T13:56:00.001-05:00

Edmonton Oiler Jarret Stoll is bagging more than goals and assists these days. The skater is apparently spending his off-ice time with Stacey's Mom hottie Rachel Hunter. Of course, Rachel is no stranger to sports fans as she's one of the all time great Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover girls.

Stoll, who fractured his nose just before the all star break, is listed as day to day. The Oilers get back in action this Friday night against the San Jose Sharks.

Tony and Eva Set Date

2007-01-25T13:34:00.001-05:00

Tony Parker and Eva Longoria have apparently set a wedding date. PR Inside says the couple will tie the knot in the Spurs off season on July 7th. Yes, the date will be 7/7/07. Anyone superstitious?

Meanwhile, Parker's Spurs lost to the Houston Rockets 90-85 in a relatively low scoring affair last night. Tim Duncan led the way for the Spurs with 37 points, while the groom-to-be chipped in 10. Tracy McGrady dropped 37 for the Rockets in the win.

Tiger Tackles Thief

2007-01-25T13:25:00.001-05:00

Tiger Woods tackled a thief trying to steal his golf bag. We'll at least in a shoot for yet another upcoming commercial for the uber golfer. Woods might even be able to add director to his already impressive resume as he apparently came up with the idea to tackle the "thief" on his own. You can catch a clip of Tiger's tackling prowess here.

Jenna Pops Out of Cake for Tito

2007-01-25T13:20:00.001-05:00

Tito Ortiz had a very good birthday. The MMA star had a one of a kind birthday cake with Jenna Jameson popping out of the middle. The adult superstar also treated the fighter to a little lap dance love which someone caught on tape and gave to my friends over at TMZ.

MMA or Jenna Jameson fan?

2007-01-22T14:37:00.001-05:00

If you are an MMA or UFC fan, you certainly know who Tito Ortiz is. And, if you are an American male you likely know who Jenna Jameson is. You may also know the two stars are a couple.

If you're in the Las Vegas area, you can do yourself a little star gazing later this month when Jenna throws a birthday party for Tito tomorrow night at Pure. Jenna will host an open-to-the-public "surprise" birthday party for Tito who turn 32. Pure Night Club is in Caesar's Palace Hotel in Las Vegas. Call 702-289-2002 for reservations.

Manning Gets Marino Monkey Off His Back

2007-01-22T13:55:00.001-05:00

During half time of yesterday's Colts - Patriots game, when it looked like the Colts would lose another playoff game, Phil Simms had to make his colleague Dan Marino cringe a bit. Simms said the Manning, if the Colts were to go on and lose the game, should move into A-Rod's neighborhood where people who make big bucks but don't deliver championships live.

Granted Marino never had an A-Rod contract, and given their years apart in the league, probably didn't make as much as Manning makes now. But, Marino did have regular season records and stats of a superstar and as we know, never won the big one. Dan played it off well when it was his turn to talk, but I can't believe I'm the only one who was waiting for Simms to mention Marino himself. And, yes, Marino did get to a Bowl. Unfortunately, for him, he got there in the middle of the 49ers dynasty. So, it is a bit unfair to say Dan wasn't a winner.

Peyton won't have to worry about the loser tag as much now that he's gotten his team to the Super Bowl. The AFC Championship is nothing to sneeze at. But, Manning critics won't go away unless the Colts manage to beat the Bears in the Bowl.

That won't be an easy task given how the Bears looked in the second half yesterday. However, Manning showed a lot of poise and didn't give up when it looked like the Patriots had things wrapped up. I think he'll look to build on that and if anyone can work around the Bears defense, it is Manning. The Bears, I'm hearing, are favored by 7. I'll take the Colts and the points on this one.

Parcells Retires

2007-01-22T13:42:00.001-05:00

Bill Parcells will not return to coach the Cowboys has announced his retirement from coaching. I think it is a good move for Bill. He never seems happy when you see him talking about his teams, in fact, he seems miserable most of the time. He should go off and spend some of that money and try to have some fun.

Ok, so who will be the next Dallas head coach? Jeff Fisher's name is being thrown around. One reason for Fisher's name is that he has a reputation of being "tough" enough to reign in Terrell Owens. Was Parcells not? I think the "T.O." situation is being given a bit too much play here. You need a good coach, period. If Owens, or any player can't work with the coach, get rid of the player. Owens is not as important to the Cowboys' future as the next coach is, so it should be a no brainer if it really is a big issue as some "analysts" are making it out to be.

Tom Brady Scoriing Off the Field?

2007-01-17T09:53:00.001-05:00

Tom Brady may be moving from one hottie to another. After splitting with Bridget Moynihan, the Patriots gunslinger may be stepping out with super model Gisele Bundchen. The Boston Herald says sources spotted the bombshell Pats' locker room after Sunday's win over the Chargers.

Not enough evidence for you? Reports also have Gisele saying Tom is "pretty cute." Now, if we were in third grade that's a slam dunk case of "she likes you." So, if the Colts manage to beat the Patriots and head to the Super Bowl, Peyton Manning just may have a certain distraction to thank.

Posh Spending Beckham's Dough

2007-01-16T20:01:00.001-05:00

Posh Spice hit her soon to be home Los Angeles and proceeded to spend some of those big bucks in hubby David Beckham's new contract. The former Spice Girl was in town to presumably look for US digs that will be comparable to their UK "Beckingham Palace." But, before he could even get his first check from the LA Galaxy his wife reportedly dropped $100,000 bucks in a single day in LA. That's some serious coin.

The Galaxy meanwhile might be fairly shrewd after all for signing Becks. His star power is reportedly drawing celeb ticket buyers and Galaxy games could be the new thing to do for the stars in LA besides being seen court side at the Lakers. And, if rumors of Ronaldo joining the Galaxy turn out to be true, you might get plenty of soccer fans to join the celebs in the crowd. Either way, it'll be a kick to see how this plays out. Sorry...couldn't resist.

Pawnshop Roses New Eagles Good Luck Charm?

2007-01-02T19:02:00.000-05:00

The Eagles pulled off another unlikely victory this past weekend to win the NFC East. Many reasons were cited for the win, but I'm thinking it may be possible that my boys in Pawnshop Roses provided a little extra pre-game spark that propelled the Birds.

The band performed on the pregame show on CBS with Beasley Reece this past Sunday. Given the win, maybe they should play before each game?

The Birds, of course, take on the New York Giants next Sunday, at home, thanks to the win. In other Eagles news, Koy Detmer returns to the squad to take over holding duties for place kicker David Akers. Watch for Koy rolling out on the fake!!! Psyche. We know Andy Reid won't try anything crazy to shake things up.

Tiki's Big Night

2006-12-31T13:47:00.000-05:00

Football is obviously a team sport. But, there's no question that one guy can make a difference in a game's outcome. That's exactly what Tiki Barber did last night. Despite facing long odds and key injuries, Tiki knew his Giants' still had a playoff shot. That glimmer of hope was all the spark Barber needed. He literally took things in his own hands rushing for a career high and Giants' record 234 yards on 23 carries. And, Barber hit pay dirt three times. The 34-28 win over the Redskins kept the playoff hopes alive and furthered Barber's storied career.

It's no surprise to us to see Barber do things like this. He could have easily packed things in and no one would have blamed him. The team had been floundering in a string of losses and the supporting cast just hasn't been there for him this season. But, as we learned in our interview with Barber before the season, he's a leader and a professional. If the Giants make the playoffs, I don't expect Barber to lead them to the NFC finals. But, if they do make it out of the first round it's a safe bet that Tiki Barber will have a hand in the outcome.

According to NFL.com, the Giants can clinch playoff berth with:

1) NYG clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Green Bay, OR
2) a Green Bay loss or tie (you can be sure Brett Favre will go down fighting as well against the Bears in what could be his last game)

The Giants clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Green Bay if:

a) DET loses OR
b) MIN loses OR
c) any two of the following results occur: ARI loss, MIA loss, SF loss, CAR win, HOU win, TB win.

If NY Giants and Green Bay end up tied in strength of victory, then tie will be decided by best strength of schedule.

Tyson's Latest Fall

2006-12-29T14:23:00.000-05:00

Mike Tyson is in the news again for all the wrong reasons. The troubled former champ was arrested for cocaine possession. TMZ reports that Iron Mike admitted to not only having the drugs, but that he has a problem as well. Documents filed with the police report reportedly indicate that an officer wrote that Tyson, after being stopped by police, "stated he is an addict and has a problem."

Such a shame. Not that I have sympathy for Tyson. He lost any chance for that along time ago. Rather, the shame is the lost talent and continued waywardness. I enjoy watching a good train wreck as much as the next guy, but my neck is really getting sore from this guy's escapades. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes. Some just seem to make more than others and rather needlessly at that. Hopefully Tyson gets the help he needs and gets his life under control. I'm sure if he does there's a spot on the Surreal Life for him.

"Old" Ravens Roll On

2006-12-29T11:49:00.000-05:00

The Baltimore Ravens are playing inspired football. Indeed, they are playing like a bunch of guys who have found those magical pods from the movie Cocoon. While most of the NFL's rookies this year were born in 1984, many guys on the Ravens' roster were born a decade or more earlier. And, ten years is a long time in the NFL grinder.

Steve McNair often hobbles around more like a guy getting ready for Social Security instead of a guy looking toward the Super Bowl. Yet, that's just where McNair and the Ravens could end up if things go their way in the next few weeks. And, particularly if they can get their "old guys" some rest.

A win this week against the lowly Buffalo Bills will go along way to setting the stage for a run at the Lombardi Trophy. It's a win the Ravens should deliver. It's also a classic situation for a let down. The playoff bid is locked and the Bills are a team easily overlooked. Perhaps it's all that wisdom floating around the huddle, but The Ravens seemed focused and ready to seal the deal. The leaders have been around long enough to know they need the bye if they want to last in the playoffs. And, home field would be nice too - those pods are a pain to take on the road.

Bobby Knight Delayed From Record

2006-12-29T11:07:00.001-05:00

If you've been anywhere but living under a rock you know that Bobby Knight is on the cusp of overtaking the great Dean Smith's record for career wins. Losing last night to UNLV, Knight will have to wait to get his 880th win.

I've got mixed feelings on Knight. For example, I wouldn't want him as my coach, but he's also not the person you want coaching your opponent. He's not, in my opinion, the greatest coach in history, but he is one of history's greatest. You can't deny the stats. He's got three national championships under his belt and is probably young enough to shoot for 900 wins. Not that he needs to pad the record, but I can't see this guy stepping down before he is good and ready. Texas Tech has become a national player under his reign and is bound to solidify its place among the top programs in the years to come thanks to Knight's ability to get the most out of his players - even if he does it in his own non-conventional way.

Knight's next shot comes again on New Year's Day against New Mexico.

Write-in candidate Fitzpatrick in 2nd with two weeks to go. Crosby leads all in votes.

2006-12-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

by David M Catherine

The NHL released the current updated votes for the 2007 Western Conference All-Star Team earlier today. Of particular note is that the write-in campaign behind Rory Fitzpatrick has vaulted him into second place in the standings with 428,832 votes, trailing only Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer who has 447,502 votes. The top-two are named starters in the All-Star Game in Dallas. Fitzpatrick has a slim 1,468 vote lead over Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit and, if the voting ended today, would be a starter in the game.

Fitzpatrick has yet to record a point in 19 games this season, returning to the lineup Dec. 14 after missing over a month with a broken bone in his left ankle.

19-year old Pittsburgh Penguins phenom Sidney Crosby leads all players in balloting with 626,175 votes. Fans have until January 2, 2007 to vote online for their favorite players.

The full results (as of December 18, 2006)

Western Conference

Forwards
Joe Thornton San Jose 535,134
Patrick Marleau San Jose 368,827
Joe Sakic Colorado 363,720
Jonathan Cheechoo San Jose 335,960
Jarome Iginla Calgary 284,260
Markus Naslund Vancouver 280,989
Martin Havlat Chicago 243,251
Teemu Selanne Anaheim 241,353
Daniel Sedin Vancouver 235,122
Henrik Sedin Vancouver 234,424
Brenden Morrow Dallas 226,690
Mike Modano Dallas 183,102
Paul Kariya Nashville 137,008
Ryan Smyth Edmonton 135,337
Brian Rolston Minnesota 109,153
Pavel Datsyuk Detroit 108,090
Petr Sykora Edmonton 106,034
Henrik Zetterberg Detroit 98,033
Ales Hemsky Edmonton 96,581
*Milan Michalek San Jose 95,366
Marian Gaborik Minnesota 95,320
Andy McDonald Anaheim 85,261
Rick Nash Columbus 83,308
Milan Hejduk Colorado 75,814
Steve Sullivan Nashville 63,952
Pavol Demitra Minnesota 63,494
Ladislav Nagy Phoenix 63,284
Doug Weight St. Louis 62,236
Shane Doan Phoenix 59,753
Keith Tkachuk St. Louis 55,993
Nikolai Zherdev Columbus 52,800

Goaltenders
Roberto Luongo Vancouver 367,528
Miikka Kiprusoff Calgary 296,186
Marty Turco Dallas 294,762
J.S. Giguere Anaheim 200,108
Dwayne Roloson Edmonton 169,694
*Vesa Toskala San Jose 120,773
Nikolai Khabibulin Chicago 111,061
Tomas Vokoun Nashville 97,658
Manny Fernandez Minnesota 86,885

Defensemen
Scott Niedermayer Anaheim 447,502
*Rory Fitzpatrick Vancouver 428,832
Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit 427,364
Chris Pronger Anaheim 340,941
Scott Hannan San Jose 333,610
Dion Phaneuf Calgary 317,576
Mattias Ohlund Vancouver 263,592
John-Michael Liles Colorado 187,493
Robyn Regehr Calgary 183,667
Sergei Zubov Dallas 172,334
Mathieu Schneider Detroit 144,782
Lubomir Visnovsky Los Angeles 139,012
Rob Blake Los Angeles 136,001

Eastern Conference

Forwards

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh, 626,175
Alex Ovechkin, Washington, 356,215
Daniel Briere, Buffalo, 350,699
Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo, 342,022
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh, 325,631
Jaromir Jagr, NY Rangers, 249,346
Chris Drury, Buffalo, 245,035
Erik Cole, Carolina, 225,006
Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina, 207,329
Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta, 187,499
Marian Hossa, Atlanta, 155,389
Saku Koivu, Montreal, 151,230
Eric Staal, Carolina, 137,052
*Thomas Vanek, Buffalo, 133,195
*Marco Sturm, Boston, 131,701
Brendan Shanahan, NY Rangers, 130,797
Dany Heatley, Ottawa, 127,887
Mats Sundin, Toronto, 127,374
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay, 125,481
Peter Forsberg, Philadelphia, 110,192
Patrice Bergeron, Boston, 96,240
Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa, 91,439
Olli Jokinen, Florida, 91,072
Jason Spezza, Ottawa, 77,516
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay, 67,148
Simon Gagne, Philadelphia, 61,997
Patrik Elias, New Jersey, 51,029
Brad Richards, Tampa Bay, 50,937
Brian Gionta, New Jersey, 47,581
Michael Nylander, NY Rangers, 40,567
Scott Gomez, New Jersey, 39,869
Miroslav Satan, NY Islanders, 38,941.

Goaltenders

Ryan Miller, Buffalo, 410,660
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey, 336,079
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh, 293,670
Cam Ward, Carolina, 158,672
Andrew Raycroft, Toronto, 156,088
Kari Lehtonen, Atlanta, 124,181
Olaf Kolzig, Washington, 96,565
*Cristobal Huet, Montreal, 90,859
Henrik Lundqvist, NY Rangers, 90,750.

Defensemen

Brian Campbell, Buffalo, 422,573
Sheldon Souray, Montreal, 394,226
Bryan McCabe, Toronto, 388,387
Zdeno Chara, Boston, 380,670
Tomas Kaberle, Toronto, 363,046
Jay Bouwmeester, Florida, 347,655
Henrik Tallinder, Buffalo, 324,035
Wade Redden, Ottawa, 240,027
Dan Boyle, Tampa Bay, 196,119
Brian Rafalski, New Jersey, 166,516
Alexei Zhitnik, NY Islanders, 156,845
Chris Phillips, Ottawa, 87,926.

Alicia Marie on Deadspin

2006-12-15T12:52:00.000-05:00

Did you catch our girl Alicia Marie on Deadspin yesterday being interviewed with beau John Rocker? The couple are still going strong after meeting during this interview for our humble site. Nice half-shirt AM!

I wonder if since, 'the gloves are off', we'll see Jeff Pearlman and John Rocker on a future episode of celebrity boxing?

Tom Brady Goes Single for Playoff Run

2006-12-15T12:41:00.000-05:00

TMZ.com reports that "Tom Brady and his actress girlfriend Bridget Moynahan have split after three years, according to People. "They amicably ended their three-year relationship several weeks ago," says a rep.

She's quite a looker so I'd really have to question this move from Tom. Could it be he wants to leave room for Super Bowl rings and not any other kind?

And, despite some great AFC competition in Baltimore and San Diego, don't rule out Brady and the Patriots for another Lombardi Trophy. They've been a stealth team all year, which probably helped them tremendously. It may come down to seeding and home field and New England could catch a break if Baltimore and San Diego get stuck playing each other before the Patriots have to face either one. I know, the Colts fans are saying "what about us?" Well, what about you? The blue and white started off great, but lately have been a real fizzle. As a reporter pointed out the other day, and don't remember where or I'd link to it, the hot teams going into the playoffs typically do the best and the Colts have not been sizzling as of late. Certainly not as sizzling as Brady's now ex hottie.

Nicolay Valuev avoids another meaningful Title defense

2006-12-07T18:03:00.000-05:00

by David M Catherine

WBA Heavyweight Champion Nicolay Valuev announced that he will be defending his belt against Jameel McCline on January 20, 2007 in Basel, Switzerland.

The 7-foot, 320-pound Valuev (43-0, 33KO) will be making his third defense of the belt since winning a close majority decision against John Ruiz in December of 2005. Since that time, he has made successful defenses against Owen Beck in June 2006 and Monte Barrett in October 2006, winning both by TKO.

While a new champion is often provided a degree of leeway in his initial title defenses in order to allow him to enjoy and profit off of his new belt by taking on a lesser-ranked and lower-risk opponent, Valuev seems to be in no hurry to face a meaningful challenger or make any attempt at unifying the divisions belts against another titleholder.

McCline (38-6-3 23KO) is on a run of six consecutive victories since a unanimous decision loss to journeyman Zuri Lawrence in October 2005. However, none of his recent opponents have been of any signifance, being journeymen or "gatekeeper" opponents whose signifigance of appearing on a record applies only to those younger, rising contenders seeking to climb the ladder.

This doesn't apply to the 36-year old McCline, who has had prior opportunities at belts and against higher-ranked competition. In the past few years, McCline has fought a few top-tier opponents, losing to Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Byrd in title fights as well as losing to Calvin Brock. McCline most notable victory was against current WBO Heavyweight Champion Shannon Briggs, but that was back in April 2002.

Considering Shannon Briggs is currently lobbying for a unification match with IBF Champion Wladimir Klitschko, calling him out at the post-fight press conference following Klitschko's TKO victory over Calvin Brock, it would do well for Valuev to take notice and make the same efforts if he truly wishes to be seriously considered a champion.

After an easy first title defense against an undeserving Owen Beck, Valuev fought an equally undeserving Monte Barrett, neither opponent having done much of anything prior to their challenges to earn a shot at the belt. McCline is the next in an unimpressive line of undeserving challengers.

The only noteworthy thing about the Valuev-McCline fight is that it will likely be the greatest Heavyweight Title fight in terms of mass. The number won't be known until the weigh-in, but as Valuev is normally fights around 320 lbs and McCline normally fights in the 270 lb range, the total mass will likely eclipse the prior record set by Wladimir Klitscho (250 lbs) and Danny Williams (270 lbs) in 2004 (520 lbs).

Should Valuev get the win, his next opponent will likely be Uzbeki contender Ruslan Chagaev (22-0-1 17KO) who earned a shot in a WBA Title Eliminator by winning a close split-decision against former champion John Ruiz in November in Germany; a fight Valuev attended.

Say what you will about Ruiz and his style, at least his resume reflects a willingness to take on some of the best in the division. That makes Valuev's close decision over him the only meaningful win on Valuev's record. And at the very least, Chagaev's victory over Ruiz provides a modicum of justification for a claim at the WBA belt, unlike any of Valuev's prior challengers.

Perhaps Valuev's management is hoping to eke out a few more victories in the hopes of maintaining a clean, undefeated record and eventually eclipse the "record" held by Rocky Marciano (who retired as Heavyweight Champion with a 49-0 record), milking fight fans and the public out of as much money as possible every step of the way.

However, as is often the mantra in boxing, it's the quality of the opponents, not the quantity. And even though many lament the overall quality of this current generation of heavyweights, Valuev needs to begin fighting better opponents in this division, including unification fights with Klitschko, Briggs or Oleg Maskaev, or, at the very least, fights against upper-level fighters such as James Toney, Samuel Peter, Calvin Brock or Lamon Brewster. Otherwise, he will never be considered a true champion.

Write-In Candidate Rory Fitzpatrick Now in Fifth Place on All-Star Ballot

2006-12-07T14:01:00.000-05:00

by David M Catherine

The write-in campaign to get Vancouver defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick voted to the NHL All-Star Game is picking up steam.

In the latest released voting tallies, Fitzpatrick has moved up to fifth place in the standings, up from twelfth place a week ago. He was the leading vote-getter this past week, receiving over 113,000 votes. While he is still well behind the leaders Scott Niedermayer and Nicklas Lidstrom, he made up more than 20,000 votes in the past week.

Fitzpatrick's supporters have until 11:59 PM (EST) on January 2, 2007 to make up the remaining ground.

The full NHL All-Star Vote Standings as of 12/6/06
(*-denotes write-in candidate)

Eastern Conference

Forwards
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh, 401,365; Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh, 217,146; Daniel Briere, Buffalo, 214,295; Alex Ovechkin, Washington, 203,138; Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo, 200,776; Chris Drury, Buffalo, 156,788; Jaromir Jagr, NY Rangers, 151,576; Erik Cole, Carolina, 141,551; Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta, 97,011; x-Thomas Vanek, Buffalo, 92,103; Marian Hossa, Atlanta, 88,554; Eric Staal, Carolina, 81,449; Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina, 79,796; Mats Sundin, Toronto, 78,574; Brendan Shanahan, NY Rangers, 77,962; Saku Koivu, Montreal, 77,068; Peter Forsberg, Philadelphia, 68,141; Dany Heatley, Ottawa, 43,709; Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay, 38,682; Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay, 35,534; Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa, 33,623; Patrice Bergeron, Boston, 31,780; Jason Spezza, Ottawa, 30,566; Olli Jokinen, Florida, 27,302; x-Marco Sturm, Boston, 26,772; Simon Gagne, Philadelphia, 25,611; Patrik Elias, New Jersey, 25,573; x-Darcy Tucker, Toronto, 23,271; Brian Gionta, New Jersey, 20,287; Scott Gomez, New Jersey, 19,701; Miroslav Satan, NY Islanders, 19,639; Michael Nylander, NY Rangers, 17,881; x-Chris Neil, Ottawa, 16,720; Brad Richards, Tampa Bay, 16,303.

Goaltender

Ryan Miller, Buffalo, 253,024; Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh, 208,492; Martin Brodeur, New Jersey, 185,679; Cam Ward, Carolina, 57,826; Andrew Raycroft, Toronto, 57,677; Kari Lehtonen, Atlanta, 57,482; Henrik Lundqvist, NY Rangers, 52,035; x-Cristobal Huet, Montreal, 51,363; Olaf Kolzig, Washington, 40,370.

Defensemen
Bryan McCabe, Toronto, 245,976; Brian Campbell, Buffalo, 242,852; Zdeno Chara, Boston, 205,981; Jay Bouwmeester, Florida, 203,581; Henrik Tallinder, Buffalo, 202,637; Tomas Kaberle, Toronto, 194,850; Sheldon Souray, Montreal, 190,516; Wade Redden, Ottawa, 116,108; Brian Rafalski, New Jersey, 96,009; Dan Boyle, Tampa Bay, 78,211; Alexei Zhitnik, NY Islanders, 62,235; Chris Phillips, Ottawa, 41,847.

Western Conference

Forwards
Joe Sakic, Colorado, 260,397; Joe Thornton, San Jose, 245,083; Martin Havlat, Chicago, 183,953; Jarome Iginla, Calgary, 174,581; Brenden Morrow, Dallas, 173,359; Jonathan Cheechoo, San Jose, 146,747; Patrick Marleau, San Jose, 124,108; Teemu Selanne, Anaheim, 122,422; Markus Naslund, Vancouver, 116,408; Mike Modano, Dallas, 113,154; Henrik Sedin, Vancouver, 93,959; Daniel Sedin, Vancouver, 93,864; Paul Kariya, Nashville, 84,441; Ryan Smyth, Edmonton, 84,143; Petr Sykora, Edmonton, 66,342; Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit, 65,155; Marian Gaborik, Minnesota, 63,735; Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit, 61,450; Brian Rolston, Minnesota, 59,290; Ales Hemsky, Edmonton, 58,653; Rick Nash, Columbus, 49,758; Andy McDonald, Anaheim, 49,102; Milan Hejduk, Colorado, 46,343; Steve Sullivan, Nashville, 39,010; Pavol Demitra, Minnesota, 37,606; Shane Doan, Phoenix, 36,219; Doug Weight, St. Louis, 36,034; Ladislav Nagy, Phoenix, 35,887; Nikolai Zherdev, Columbus, 33,882; Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis, 30,147.

Goaltenders
Marty Turco, Dallas, 226,724; Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary, 178,324; Roberto Luongo, Vancouver, 157,840; Dwayne Roloson, Edmonton, 113,559; Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Anaheim, 113,174; Nikolai Khabibulin, Chicago, 53,045; Thomas Vokoun, Nashville, 48,200; Manny Fernandez, Minnesota, 47,036.

Defensemen
Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim, 329,657; Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit, 317,373; Chris Pronger, Anaheim, 219,372; Dion Phaneuf, Calgary, 208,945; x-Rory Fitzpatrick, Vancouver, 144,819; Sergei Zubov, Dallas, 110,562; Mattias Ohlund, Vancouver, 110,146; Scott Hannan, San Jose, 108,757; Mathieu Schneider, Detroit, 88,449; Rob Blake, Los Angeles, 83,814; Robyn Regehr, Calgary, 77,205; John-Michael Liles, Colorado, 71,360; Lubomir Visnovsky, Los Angeles, 57,928.