Singer messes up national anthem for two countries
Jeff Fuller had sung the U.S. and Canadian anthems several times but on Wednesday he butchered both.
It started with Fuller losing his way while signing “O Canada” and it only got worse when he attempted to restart. The second time was no better and eventually he gave up and moved onto “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
University Of Kentucky Sends Drake Championship Ring
last name greatest first name ever
The Kentucky Wildcats have a bunch of celebrities for fans like Ashley Judd, Jay-Z, John Boehner, Fabolous and LeBron James and one from Canada. Drake, the 25-year-old Canadian rap and R&B star, from Toronto became a Wildcats fan during the 2009-10 season while John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins starred for the team and was rewarded with a championship ring.
He posted the picture of the ring on Instagram but it’s unclear who it came from the university or head coach John Calipari.
Wonder what Judd received?
Toronto Blue Jays Fans Celebrate 50th Wedding Anniversary
Forever Linked
Long time Toronto Blue Jays fans Gerry and Elenor have been watching their favorite team from their home in Saskatchewan for over 30 years. They’ve seen it all from the Blue Jays from Joe Carters game winning World Series home run to the teams old open-air playing grounds Exhibition Stadium.
The one thing the couple hadn’t seen the Blue Jays was in person. So for their 50th wedding anniversary Gerry and Elenor hoped on plane for the first time and flew 1,200 miles to watch them live. They had tickets to the final game of the Oakland Athletics series and the start of the Detroit Tigers.
WTF: Canada
No Hiding
Over the weekend the Nike Global Challenge tournament for U-19 players held in Washington DC to show off some of the top international talent. But Team Canada showed up in yellow camouflage jerseys and create a stir.
Canadian Women’s Rugby Team Makes Calendar
TALENT
Rugby is set to be reintroduced to the Olympics in the 2016 Summer Games and the cost to get to any of them can be quite expensive has lead Canada’s women’s national rugby team to produce a calendar.
Not just any calendar though a fully nude, yet tasteful, 16-month, 2012-13 calendar “that celebrates strong athletic female bodies” in order to raise much-needed funds so the team can train and be more-than-adequately prepared when the team makes its debut on the international stage in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in four years.
The team has been producing tastefully done nude calendars since 2004 to cover expenses and on its site it states that “portions of the money raised will go toward the pay to play 15′s national program and a charity that empowers young women to be active and healthy.” You can get your hands on the 2012-13 version HERE.
TALENT
Lacrosse Bench Clearing Brawl
Two Canadian teams found a way to bring attention to indoor lacrosse played by teenagers. Have an all-out, bench-clearing brawl and defy all the officials who try to break it up. This incident involved the Nanaimo Timbermen and the Coquitlam Adanacs, teams made up of players ages 16-17.
Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown: Ron MacLean
Ron MacLean
Every Thursday Sports Grind Entertainment will present you with the Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown. The recipient of this honor goes to Canadian Broadcasting Corp. host Ron MacLean who attempted to compare the New York Rangers-Washington Capitals series to the first responders on Sept. 11. MacLean said the cities were linked in tragedy since both were targets of terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
MacLean said “it is crazy to compare what the emergency responders did during that time,” and then proceeded to do just that.
MacLean compared the players efforts in the games of the series to police officers and firefighters.
“The pain these men have faced, the price they keep on paying, the hearts they keep on lifting, it’s been through and through, five games in,” MacLean said.
MacLean finished the comparison by saying that “our worst day is their every day.”
Lingerie Football League Taking Year Off
TALENT
The U.S. Lingerie Football League is forgoing a 2012 season in order to expand the sport abroad and refocus it as a warm-weather game. Spokesman Jim Wallin said the LFL will resume playing in April 2013 on a spring-summer playing schedule. He says the hiatus will also allow the league to concentrate on launching in Canada this fall and free U.S. players to participate in a promotional all-star tour.
The “All Fantasy Tour” will start in Mexico City next month, followed by dates in Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, and possibly cities in Asia later in the year.
The LFL, which is based in West Hollywood, Calif., plans to launch a league in Australia in 2013. The three-year-old LFL features all-female, seven-member teams playing in lingerie and football pads.
No Olympics For US Soccer
Disappointing
The U.S. won’t be sending a men’s soccer team to this summer’s London Olympics after an El Salvador goal during injury time salvaged a 3-3 tie in a qualifying game Monday night. The U.S. Under-23 team was down 2-1 after a defensive breakdown allowed El Salvador to score two quick back-to-back goals, in the 35th and 37th minutes.
But the U.S. rebounded as passes from Freddy Adu orchestrated a pair of goals. Terrence Boyd, who had scored just 61 seconds into the match, added a second goal on a breakaway in the 65th minute. Then Joe Corona gave the U.S. a 3-2 lead on a header from short range in the 68th minute.
The tie dropped the U.S. to 1-1-1 and third place Group A of the CONCACAF four-team round-robin. Only the top two teams, El Salvador (2-0-1) and Canada (1-0-2), go on to Friday’s semifinal round in Kansas City.
The U.S. Under-23 team had qualified for six of the last seven Olympics.
Senator Fan Proposes To Her Leafs Girlfriend
Isn’t it lovely when opposing fans can put aside their differences and create a harmoniousness household? That’s exactly what Alicia, a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, and girlfriend Christina, a Ottawa Senators fan hope to do now that Alicia accepted Christina’s marriage proposal.
Hockey night in Canada just got a little warmer.
MLS & USSF Partner On New Referee Organization
Est. 1993
MLS and the USSF have partnered to create the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), which will manage the officiating program for professional soccer leagues across the U.S. and Canada. The objectives of the new organization are to improve the quality of refereeing, develop younger refs and help officials get to the level of representing the U.S. and Canada at competitive FIFA events.
Beginning this year, PRO will manage officials in MLS and MLS Reserve games, the NASL, USL Pro and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Veteran English referee Peter Walton has been named general manager of PRO.
U.S. Soccer and MLS will govern and fund the organization, with support from the Canadian Soccer Association and other leagues.
“Thanks to collaborative work with U.S. Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association, officiating in MLS made significant strides forward in the past year,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “The overall level of MLS refereeing is good, and the creation of the Professional Referee Organization is the logical next stage of development. MLS and U.S. Soccer proudly welcome PRO General Manager Peter Walton, who will utilize his exceptional experience as a referee and as an administrator, along with substantial resources, to help MLS achieve its vision of setting the worldwide standard in officiating.”
“We’ve always understood that the development of referees is an important aspect to the growth of the game in the United States,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said. “PRO is another step towards the improvement and professionalization of our top referees. With the additional resources and funding provided by the formation of PRO, we will continue to build upon the progress we’ve already made.”
Harlem Globetrotters Sign 7-Foot-8 Paul Sturgess
That's One Tall Pole
The Harlem Globetrotters have signed 7-foot-8 Paul ‘Tiny’ Sturgess, who holds the record by Guinness World Record for being the tallest person ever to play basketball. The British-born Sturgess incredible size appears to not be from a disorder but from his family genetics.
Sturgess is only 24-years old and although he played college basketball in the United States at Florida Tech (Division 2) and Mountain State (NAIA), his career never took off due to injury issues. So, he signed with the Globetrotters to help them defeat the scrappy Washington Generals.
Tiny and the Globetrotters will play nearly 270 games on the North American portion of their upcoming 2012 World Tour, bringing the Globetrotter magic to over 230 cities in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces to celebrate their 86th consecutive of play.
Toronto Raptors Unveil Camouflage Jerseys
O Canada
The camouflage uniforms have already been in play for Major League Baseball, college football, college hoops and even in the NHL but there’s never been a camo uniform in the NBA. That is until the Toronto Raptors unvieled the NBA’s first-ever camouflage uniform.
It will make its on-court debut March 21, as part of Canadian Forces Night, and will be worn three more times after that.
Russian Hockey Team Killed In Plane Crash
R.I.P.
A Russian jet carrying the Lokomotiv ice hockey team crashed just after takeoff this morning, killing at least 43 people and leaving two others critically injured. It was one of the worst plane crashes ever involving a sports team. The plane was carrying the Lokomotiv ice hockey team from Yaroslavl to Minsk, where the team was to play Thursday against Dinamo Minsk in the opening game of the season for the Kontinental Hockey League.
Officials said Russian player Alexander Galimov survived the crash along with a crewmember. A Czech embassy official said Czech players Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek and Jan Marek were among those killed, and Latvian officials confirmed the death of Latvian defenseman Karlis Skrastins. Other top names on the team include Russian defenseman Ruslan Salei and Swedish goalie Stefan Liv.
“This is the darkest day in the history of our sport. This is not only a Russian tragedy, the Lokomotiv roster included players and coaches from 10 nations,” said Rene Fasel, president of the international Ice Hockey Federation. “This is a terrible tragedy for the global ice hockey community.”
In recent years, Russia and the other former Soviet republics have had some of the world’s worst air traffic safety records. Experts blame the poor safety record on the age of the aircraft, weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality.
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl is a leading force in Russian hockey, the team’s coach is Canadian Brad McCrimmon. He took over in May and was most recently an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings, and played for years in the NHL for Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers and Phoenix Coyotes. The Russian team also featured several top European players and former NHL stars, including Slovakian forward and national team captain Pavol Demitra, who played in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks.
Tiger Woods Doctor Admits To Smuggling Drugs Into United States
You've Heard About Me Before On SGE.com
Canadian sports doctor Dr. Anthony Galea, whose clients have included Tiger Woods pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to bringing unapproved drugs, including human growth hormone, into the United States to unlawfully treat pro athletes.
Galea, a healing specialist from Toronto who was sought out by the biggest names in sports, was indicted by a federal grand jury in October on charges that he smuggled human growth hormone and other substances into the United States and lied to border agents to avoid getting caught. He faces similar charges in Canada.
The indictment did not identify any clients, but prosecutors said they included golfers, professional baseball and football players and others. Galea, 51, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara, eliminating the need for a trial along with the likelihood that evidence and witness statements could publicly reveal information about who he visited or billed.
Prosecutors alleged some athletes received injections of HGH, banned by major sports, and Actovegin, a derivative of calf’s blood not approved for use in the United States. They also said some athletes were given intravenous Actovegin drips and platelet-rich plasma therapy, a treatment used to speed healing that involves extracting blood from patients and re-injecting just the plasma.
CFL Team Acquires Negotiating Rights To Terrelle Pryor
All Eyes On Me
The Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League have acquired the negotiating rights to former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and have spoken to his lawyer about bringing him to the league. Pryor’s attorney, Larry James, said Wednesday that the CFL is a genuine possibility for him.
“Yeah, it’s like I told (the Roughriders). My house is not for sale, but at the right price, it’s on the market,” James said.
Roughriders general manager Brendan Taman said that the team owned Pryor’s CFL negotiation rights and was intrigued by the 6-foot-6, 233-pound quarterback.
“He’s a heck of an athlete,” Taman said. “We get a lot of U.S. college football up here. We’re well aware of him. With the (bigger) field up here in Canada, with the athlete that he is, he would be an interesting component to come up here and run around and do some things as a quarterback.”
Taman said he was more concerned about Pryor’s passing ability than his past.
“It (the CFL) is a pass-oriented league, so that’s one thing he’d have to master,” he said. “But as a runner he would flourish up here, I know.”
Saskatchewan acquired the rights to Pryor from the two-time defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes and have 10 days to make at least a minimum offer once it contacts Pryor or his agent. When Montreal traded the rights to Pryor it allloowed the Alouettes to place former North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson on the negotiation List.
He also could take a year off to heal from ankle surgery last January and prepare for next year’s NFL draft. Many experts think that might be the way to go.
Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player: Francisco Liriano & Justin Verlander
Francisco Liriano & Justin Verlander
Every Tuesday Sports Grind Entertainment presents you with the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player of the Week. This week the recipient of this prestigious honor goes to Minnesota Twins Francisco Liriano and Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander for each throwing a no-hitter this past week. Liriano threw his no-hitter on Tuesday night on the road against the Chicago White Sox for the franchise seventh and his first. Verlander threw his no-hitter also on the road in Canada against the Toronto Blue Jays which also was the Tigers seventh but his second of his career. Verlander’s second no-hitter puts him along with White Sox’s Mark Buehrle and Philadelphia Phillies Roy Halladay as the only active pitchers with more than one.
Liriano entered his start with a 1-4 record and an 9.13 ERA, he went on to walk six and strikeout two to lower his ERA to 6.61. His two strikeouts in a no-hitter are the fewest though since Jerry Reuss did so with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980. It’s also the first no-hitter by a Twins pitcher since Eric Milton threw one back on September 11, 1999.
Verlander only struck out four in his second career no-hitter Saturday, compared to 12 punchouts in his first one in 2007. Prior to either of his no-hitters, the last Tigers pitcher to throw one was Jack Morris, who did back on April 7, 1984.
Congratulations Francisco Liriano and Justin Verlander you are this weeks Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player.
Football Brawl In Canada
The video is of an amateur league football game between the St. Leonard Cougars and host Hamilton Hurricanes in the Ontario Football Conference. The game is almost over when St. Leonard players rush the stands and engage in an all out brawl that includes a plastic crate. No charges where pressed as no one was willing but the rest of the world say thank you Canada for this classic brawl moment.
Michigan State Dion Sims Accused Of Stealing $158,000 Of Laptops From Detriot Public Schools
Stealing Educational Opportunities From Kids
On the same day that Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio was released from the hospital after suffering from a heart attack he has learned that felony charges are being brought against his tight end Dion Sims for stealing $158,000 of laptop computers from Detriot Public Schools last school year.
Sims is accused of receiving and concealing stolen property, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Sims has been suspended from the team.
Internal tracking devices led officials to stolen DPS computers in seven other states, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The ring was involved in the theft of about 104 DPS laptops that were stolen last school year and sold on eBay, Craigslist and to friends.
Sims was a significant catch for the Spartans 2009 recruiting class, as he was ranked as the No. 5 tight end in the country by rivals.com.
A Busy Summer For Chris Bosh
It’s absolutely been a wild summer for Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh. His summer started when several NBA teams courting him before he finally settled in on the decision to come play back to the states and play with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in south beach. He’s filled up the rest of his time by appearing in HBO’s Entourage to getting engaged to girlfriend Tammy Brook. Bosh was able to find another suitor to fit into his brand he’s been building in the United States and this time it’s Sports Illustrated.
Shirley Temples? Never would have guessed but I’m still riding.
Hedo Turkoglu Slams Toronto Raptors Organization
You Both Quit
The feud between Chris Bosh and Toronto Raptors president Bryan Colangelo has expanded to another former Raptor. Hedo Turkoglu, who recently left Canada and signed with the Phoenix Suns, joined in on the fun and backed up his former teammate.
Turkoglu told Fox Sports Arizona that “people have to realize something is wrong with that organization and nobody wants to go there any more.”
Turkoglu supported Bosh’s statements and went after Colangelo. “If he was feeling this way, why not have the guts to say it during the season? Why not say it to Chris? Now that Chris has left, it’s not nice to say those things.”
Turkoglu went onto say that he didn’t think Bosh quit during the final stretch of the season but I say go to the tape because you both did.
Baseball Field Goes Up In Flames Thanks To Grounds Crew
Fire, Fire, Fire
A trick used by a grounds crew to dry out a soaked baseball field in St. Albert’s has cost the local teams its use for the season.
What usually takes a day, day and a half for Mother Nature to take care of Gerry Peterson and his staff at the local baseball stadium decided to take matters into their own hands and dry the field out themselves by coating the baseball diamond in diesel fuel and lighting it on fire.
The field is deemed unusable and teams are banned from playing out the rest of their baseball season. The local baseball association is on the hook for cleanup costs.
