The morning links. Aging, but effective:
It's on to Vancouver, visions of Saturday's Cindy Klassen-Clara Hughes show still making me all goosebumpy.
Line of the Night, NBA division (LotN NHL returns Wednesday morning): Shaquille O'Neal goes 15 of 16 from the field as the Heat beats Seattle on Saturday. (Two things: Shaq is back, as Dave Feschuk notes -- and that accompanying 1-of-6 from the FT line sure looks like additional evidence to me -- with the Raptors in Miami tonight, still on hold with GM candidate Bryan Colangelo; and a scheduling note -- March 12 and 31, Kobe against Seattle's league-worst defence).
Another NBA: The "silent game" in Orlando, televised without announcers. (How quiet was it? It was so quiet you could hear 'em yelling We Want Darko!)
The Glazers have some new silverware, as Manchester United wins the Carling (nee League) Cup.
Samuel Eto'o walks off the pitch saying "no more" after racist chants were directed at him by Zaragoza fans. He went back after his Barca teammates interceded, but after earlier incidents that were tolerated by Spanish league officials this is clearly reaching the breaking point:
Ewerthon's fellow black Brazilian Ronaldinho, the leader of Barcelona in all but the captain's armband, had, however, said something that should hit home to the complacent soccer administrators like a bullet.
"We all heard it," he said of the relentless chants, hisses and whistles directed at Eto'o. "And if he leaves, then I go as well."
And in celebration of Sweden's taut win over Finland in a splended gold-medal hockey game, here's a couple of items: Sweden's Top 60, a (long) list of Abba tribute bands, and from the archives of the relocated J.E. Skeets, Ikea and Sheed. (Bloggin' pal Damien Cox figures the Swedes embarrassed themselves in tanking an earlier game -- but c'mon. The only thing the Swedish coach was guilty of was daring to speak what is not uncommon practice in these kind of short time-frame competitions.).
Well, holy crap, this may be first, Chris... I agree with Damien on this one. :-o
Throwing a game be a "fact of life" in these short tournaments, but it's one I'd just as soon not know... and my middle name isn't actually "Pollyanna", either.
Now, because I do know that it may have played a role in getting the Swedes to the gold medal game, that medal they won carries an unfortunate taint, IMO. I would've preferred to remain blissfully ignorant of their unsportsmanlike plans.
Posted by: Carla | February 27, 2006 at 12:27 PM