Is There A Possible Return Of MLB To Montreal?

When the Montreal Expos left for Washington D.C. there wasn’t a chance that there would be a possible return of Major League Baseball to the French- Canadian city. All I can say is never say never.

There have been rumors floating around that there could be a possible return of the Expos to Montreal. The rumors have been started by former French-language Expos broadcaster, Rodger Brulotte.

Last Friday, on radio station CKAC, Brulotte said he has been approached by an unnamed business group interested in trying to bring baseball back to the city – and we’re not talking about the minor leagues.

Brulotte also posted the news on his RDS blog and was a guest Tuesday afternoon on Mitch Melnick’s radio show on The Team 990. Brulotte said he had rebuffed the group of investors several times over the last couple of years before finally taking them seriously.


Brulotte says the fact a recent Conference Board of Canada report declared Montreal could still support Major League Baseball under the right conditions led the unnamed group to publicly explore the city’s appetite for it.

First of all stop teasing the Montreal fans, because baseball isn’t coming back to Montreal. Number two unless a group with a ton of money gets involved I don’t think ownership can support baseball in Montreal. Football still hasn’t returned to Los Angeles, so baseball isn’t coming back to Montreal. 

Bank Suing Marbury For $16 Million

Stephon Marbury has made around $151 million throughout his basketball playing career. So it should be no problem for him to pay back a loan. Well, it’s a problem when it’s $16 million dollars.

Marbury is being sued by Wells Fargo/Wachovia for the $16 mill he guaranteed to Starbury the company. Here’s an excerpt of the report from CBSSports.com.

The balance due and owing on the Note, as of September 11, 2010, is the principal balance of $16,063,179.49, together with default interest, late charges, sums advanced for the protection of the Property, attorney’s fees, and all other sums due under the Note, the Mortgage, and other applicable loan documents.



Essentially, Marbury guaranteed a $16-million loan to Starbury, the company. Starbury the company hasn’t paid the loan back, so now Starbury the former Knicks point guard has to. The collateral he put up for the loan only covered a small part of the judgment against him.

You can check out more on Deadspin.com.

I know Marbury wasn’t the sharpest tool in the drawer, but I figure since he’s still playing in China he’s bring in some money to pay this back. Besides he made $151 million there shouldn’t be any problem paying this back. Right. Right?

Samaki Walker’s Poor Attempt At Hiding Drugs From The Police

Kids don’t take this statement to heart, well at least some of it. If you are going to do drugs and at some point if you are approached by police, give up the goods, do not try to eat them. Apparently former NBA player Samaki Walker thought that eating them to hide them from police would be a good idea.

Arizona authorities allege former NBA basketball player Samaki Walker tried to eat marijuana as a Department of Public Safety officer approached his 2002 Mercedes-Benz during a traffic stop Thursday in Kingman.



Officials said about 10 grams of marijuana was seized from the vehicle with some prescription drugs and eight bottles of liquid steroids.

 Walker, who had a 10 year NBA career, most notably with the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, after being drafted ninth in the 1996 NBA draft still plays professionally in Syria. He says he had the steroids to help improve his athletic ability. Steroids are legal in Syria.

Walker was booked on drug charges; bond was set at $2,000, and an Aug. 5 preliminary hearing was set.

Even though he wasn’t a top of the line NBA player I know he made some money. So what was he doing still rolling around in a 2002 Benz. I know he could afford some kind of upgrade.

First Rodney White and his underground bunkers, now this.      

Andy Van Slyke Rips Colby Rasmus

 In an interview with Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Andy Van Slyke. Even though the trade happened Wednesday, Van Slyke had some choice words for the young Colby Rasmus and his lack of accountability.

“According to what I read, he’s never been happier (being traded) since he’s been a Cardinal,” Van Slyke said. “How can you be happy being traded from the St Louis Cardinals? It’s the most nonsensical thing I could ever imagine.


“I couldn’t have been more upset than when I got traded (to Pittsburgh). It took me a month to get over it.”

He said Rasmus’ apparent happiness at being traded “shows you how totally emotionally different a player he is than I was. He’s going from a potential playoff team to a team that hasn’t won anything in 20 years.

“If he stays where he is emotionally, he’s going to be the same player he is right how. His whole game is derived from emotion. He doesn’t use his intellectual mind; he uses his emotional mind.


“No wonder he’s never performed the way he should have.


“Then his father says the Cardinals have changed his game. Well, I would hope so,” Van Slyke said.


“He and his father think he’s still playing in high school. He continues to throw the ball to the wrong base and not break up double plays. You can’t do those things at the big-league level.


“It’s up to the Toronto organization to keep him accountable, like Tony (La Russa) and his coaches tried to do.”

Sounds like Rasmus’ father is a welfare version of Marv Marinovich. It’s hard for a coach or manager to get through to a player when his father is in his ear all the time. Even though I think this trade will come back to haunt the Cards in the future, Rasmus still has some growing up to do. St. Louis is a great baseball city and would’ve supproted him even though he had issues with Tony LaRussa.  

One Fan’s Take On The Colby Rasmus Trade

It’s no secret that that the clash with manager Tony LaRussa is the chief reason that Colby Rasmus was shipped to the Toronto Blue Jays. 

What’s funny is how a St. Louis Cardinals fan modified his Colby Rasmus shirsey (jersey shirt).

As Cardinals fan I think this deal might come back to haunt them.

Jerry Meals’ Family Being Harassed

When Jerry Meals blew the call at the end of the Braves-Pirates game a few nights ago, I don’t think he figured that there would be some fans that would take their outrage a bit too far. Yes, he blew the call, but hell, he’s only human. I’m still bitter over the blown call in the 1985 World Series, but I’ve never let my fandom get in the way of human error. What is happening to Meals and his family is absurd.

According to Meals’ daughter the family has received threats and harassing phone calls. This is a bit much. Jim Joyce didn’t catch this much flack for ruining Armando Galarraga’s perfect game.

A source who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation told  ESPN.com’s Amy K. Nelson that Major League Baseball’s security division is investigating apparent threats made against the family. Among them were calls made to the family and people showing up at the Meals’ home. The exact nature of the threats is still unknown.

MLB Vice President of Baseball Operations, Joe Torre, delivered a lenghty apology. 

“Unfortunately, it appears that the call was missed, as Jerry Meals acknowledged after the game. Many swipe tags are not applied to the runner with solid contact, but the tag was applied and the game should have remained tied. I have spoken with Jerry, who is a hard-working, respected umpire, and no one feels worse than him. We know that this is not a product of a lack of effort.



“Having been the beneficiary of calls like this and having been on the other end in my experience as a player and as a manager, I have felt that this has always been a part of our game. As a member of the Commissioner’s Special Committee for On-Field Matters, I have heard many discussions on umpiring and technology over the past two years, including both the pros and the cons of expanding replay. However, most in the game recognize that the human element always will be part of baseball and instant replay can never replace all judgment calls by umpires. Obviously, a play like this is going to spark a lot of conversation, and we will continue to consider all viewpoints in our ongoing discussions regarding officiating in baseball.


“We expect the best from our umpires, and an umpire would tell you he expects the best of himself. We have to continue to strive for accuracy, consistency and professionalism day in and day out.”


Listen up Pirates fans. Everyone makes mistakes. I understand this is the closest you’ve been to a pennant race in the last 20 years or so. Get over it. If anything you guys should be bitching about MLB not having a replay system that can make a proper call on a close play. I understand that it could possibly cost you in the standings at the end of the year, but it’s not that serious. It’s BS and 99% of them probably couldn’t referee a checker match.

    

Dwight Howard Will Never Play For The Heat

Everyone knows Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is a big kid and everyone knows it. Howard recently attended the Comic Con in San Diego and let out some of his inner child. There is one thing Howard doesn’t kid about and that’s his NBA future.

Howard wants to win a ring in the worse way, even though from the outside looking in some may not know it. He’ll be a free agent after the 2012 season and he really doesn’t care to discuss it. There is one team that won’t be on his destination list though. The Miami Heat.

When the Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James formed the “Big Three” in South Beach, Howard knew that basketball supremacy in the state of Florida left the Magic Kingdom. Howard has gone on to mock James’ hairline, the chalk toss, and “The Decision” just to name a few examples.

When asked about who he’s thinking of playing for it was no laughing matter regarding the Heat.

What about the Lakers? “That’s everybody’s question,” he told the “Kick” audience. “I am wearing purple … but that’s Rock’s outfit.”



The Heat? “Never.”

Now the Heat would be the quickest way of getting to his goal of being an NBA champion, but he wants to blaze his own trail and be a leader of a team and not a follower.

Asomugha Planning For Life After Football

Free Agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha will be the most sought after free agent when the spending frenzy begins. There might be one small nugget that could limit his suitors. Asomugha wants to be an actor when his playing days are over.

“You keep hearing that Nnamdi wants to go somewhere where he can begin to focus on his post-player career — even though he’ll give his all as he’s playing — and he has a great interest in being an actor,” ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said Tuesday on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike Show.”

Well, Nnamdi’s going all O.J. Simpson on us. You know how it is everyone that’s not an actor wants to try their hand at it. He’ll definitely have to give his all given the amount of money he’ll be making. Word is that the New York Jets might be moving to the top of the list given the large media market there.

This is something to keep an eye on, but my gut says he lands with the Philadelphia Eagles.    

Spencer Hawes’ Message To The NBA

The city of Seattle held an NBA sanctioned charity basketball game between some NBA players and Seattle’s finest.

After the 2 1/2 hour exhibition, former Washington Husky and Seattle Prep star, Spencer Hawes, stepped to the microphone with a message to the NBA about bringing basketball back to Seattle and a unique haircut to relay the message.

“I just want to leave y’all with one last thing,” Hawes shouted. “Come home, Sonics! Come home, Sonics!”

Well the Sonics aren’t coming home. I don’t know if David Stern will bring the NBA back to Seattle. Personally I would like to see that happen, because it seems strange without a team in Seattle.

Four Players Still Getting Paid During The NBA Lockout

The NBA lockout doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon. You know what that means. There will be players that won’t be getting paid. That also means they’ll have to stretch those millions for an undisclosed amount of time.

But if your Ben Gordon, Zach Randolph, Al Farouq Aminu, and Caron Butler the checks will keep rolling. That’s because their agent, Raymond Brothers who spread their 2010-11 NBA salaries over 18 or 24 months in case the lockout forces the cancellation of games.

Smart move by their agent and the players for co-signing the deal.

“They will not know financially that they’re in a lockout,” Brothers told USA Today.
“If there is a lockout, you’ll able to pay your bills.”

So while there will be players grumbling about paying child support and car insurance, it won’t be from any of these guys.