Brainwaves, Bertuzzi and more

It's Thursday. That means it's time for the all-blogger edition of the morning links, and a big 'un it is:

Raptors finish before the all-star break with a loss in New York, where the Knicks have been beset by the latest Isiah Thomas brainwave (and from a couple days back, but too good not to mention: Intercepted from Bosh's Blackberry).

So long, Sammy Sosa. Unless someone comes along with $5 million, anyway.

Steve Moore wins the good timing award, dropping a lawsuit on Todd Bertuzzi just as Thug o' My Heart plays a fine game for Team Canada. Andy Grabia at Sports Matters has it here, with some equally good comments.

Eric McErlain calls in a crisis P.R. man to break down Wayne Gretzky's options:

  This is not a publicity tour -- it is about stopping attackers who are bent on disgracing your hard-earned reputation. And at the end of the day, it is what the public thinks that counts -- not the county DA and not the newspaper columnist guild.

Joe Clark gets his Freakanomics on and asks the question: "If being in the NHL is good enough to get men into the Olympics, is being in the Olympics good enough to get women into the NHL?"

Across the pond, Ken Owen riffs on a link included here regarding the Times' campaign to (as if!) end soccer diving: "Unnecessary violence is the real scourge of sport," he concludes.

Maisonneuve has an old coot in a cabin on James Bay blogging the Olympics. Sort of like Red Green meets late period Hunter Thompson (thanks to regular visitor JLo for the pointer here). Don't ask, just read, including this curling primer from a visitor:

“First things first,” he said, as he downed his can of Old Vienna. “We’ve got to mark the sheet.” Then he walked out to the middle of the stream, whipped it out, and pissed a strategic yellow arc, turning as he did. When he had come around 360 degrees, he stopped, stepped back, and let a few drops fall right in the middle of the circle. He looked at me, ‘marker’ in hand.
"Now it's your turn..."

More 'lympics, back after a two-year absence: A blog of last-place finishers in each sport. Best part is it's not snarky at all. (A bow to the very fine Now That's Amateur for the link).

The latest on wok racing. Sort of like skeleton or bobsled, only in a wok.

With pitchers and catchers reporting, the Soxaholix are back (and yeah, that Steinbrenner story had my gag reflex going too).

From multimediafriendly J.E. Skeets' new home, a Valentine card.

Via Deadspin, funniest thing I've read all week file: momentous world events covered by the blogosphere's favourite ESPN.com punching bag.

Tim Farrell has a couple of lookalike pairs. Hey, what's a chock-a-blog Thursday without lookalikes?

Comments

[Amateur (P. Giles)]

Thanks for the compliment!

[Ray]

I hope that Steve Moore wins. Bertuzzi needs to understand that he is just a jerk, and deserves to pay for his deeds. Would rathe see bertuzzi in jail but unfortunately I doubt that will happen. But I doubt this will be posted. Bad for the fighting, er, hockey clubs.