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        <title><![CDATA[The Blog Street Bullies]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.metronews.ca/blog/174682]]></link>
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                      <title><![CDATA[Manny Needs a Home]]></title>
                      <description><![CDATA[Major League Baseball needs to wake up. The best hitter of our generation, Manny Ramirez, is still a free agent, despite his numbing numbers. Since his departure from the AL East and the Boston Red Sox last year, Ramirez has hit nearly .400, and turned the LA Dodgers, a team battling for their division, into a contender. Last week, Man-Ram, his infectious nickname, turned down a one-year, $25 million contract from the same team that he pulled out of the middle of the National League pack. He deserves much more commitment from the team that he decides to play for. His move to the Dodgers last season was the first time in his career that he moved mid-season. He has only played for two other teams, the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, and his stays in both places lasted eight seasons. Not only is Ramirez a loyal player but he has the numbers to back up the dollar signs. He has 12 all-star nods, nine Silver Slugger awards, two Hank Aaron awards and was the 2004 World Series MVP. Not too shabby for a guy that has been criticized for much of his career. Ramirez ranks 17th on the all-time home run list, but it isn't just power numbers for the Dominican native. Of the 24 major leaguers to hit 500 round trippers, Ramirez's lifetime .314 batting average is bested only by Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams. The biggest drawback on Ramirez has to be his personality. High-fiving a fan in the middle of a double play, taking a washroom break behind the Green Monster during a pitching change or just “Manny being Manny” haven't always been his brightest moments. There has also been criticism of his effect on a club house. But that isn't enough to scare off New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel. “I don't have a problem with people that produce in the form and fashion that Manny Ramirez produces. We shouldn't spend that much time in the locker room anyway.” Manuel said. “Our job is to be on the field, and Manny Ramirez has proven that he is probably one of the best right-handed hitters of our generation. To have a shot at managing him would be exciting for me.” The enthusiasm doesn't seem to go from the dugout to the front office. Ramirez remains unsigned, while most teams have used most of their 2009 payroll space. The New York Yankees must have run out of money by now, signing three big name free agents to monster deals. The Toronto Blue Jays, despite their lack of power, have also tapped their budget. Despite only mild interest from teams around the league, Ramirez will find a home come the start of the season. With numbers like those above, every team should be looking to slot him in their lineup.]]></description>
                      
                      <link>http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/183906</link>
                      <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                      <category><![CDATA[/Blog]]></category>
                      <keywords><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, MLB, Manny Ramirez, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Green Monster, Cleveland INdians, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, National League, LA Dodgers]]></keywords>
                      <pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:52:30 -0400</pubDate>
                      <author>Tyler Warman</author>
                      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/183906</guid>
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                      <title><![CDATA[Papi Knows Best]]></title>
                      <description><![CDATA[The Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz has the right idea. &nbsp; Ortiz, affectionately called Big Papi by teammates and fans, told the media that Major League Baseball needs to step up its drug testing if they hope to remove steroids from the game. &nbsp; “I would suggest everybody get tested, not random, everybody,” Ortiz said. “You go team by team. You test everybody three, four times a year and that's about it.” &nbsp; Testing every player in the league leaves no doubt as to who is getting passed over. Checking them at least three times a year makes sure that the players aren’t cheating at any given point during the season. &nbsp; Baseballs record books are tainted by admitted steroid users, and players suspected of steroid use. Of the top 12 homerun leaders, five of them, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez, have been linked to performance enhancing drugs. &nbsp; The fab-five along with other players that have taken steroids leave a black mark on baseball that can never be removed, but the relationship with fans can be repaired, by guaranteeing a level playing field for all players. &nbsp; Along with testing every player more often the MLB players association needs to clean up its act. In a few reports MLBPA lawyer Gene Orza is accused of tipping off players about when the drug tests will be administered. &nbsp; The players need to hire a third party to find out if Orza is tipping off players, and if he is he needs to be removed from his position immediately. &nbsp; The tests become useless if players know the exact date they will be tested. Given enough time to prepare there are a few ways to mask the use of performance enhancing drugs. &nbsp; In 2007 six players were suspended while on a Major League roster, in 2008 no players were suspended. If you believe that baseball all of a sudden became clean over the course of one season then you’re fooling yourself. &nbsp; With surprise drug tests three to four times a season, baseball will weed out the cheaters very quickly. &nbsp; If 25 – 50 game suspensions for first time offenders isn’t enough of a deterrent, then someone else has a different idea. &quot;Ban 'em for the whole year,&quot; says Ortiz. That should do it. &nbsp; tomerberman@hotmail.com &nbsp;]]></description>
                      
                      <link>http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/184739</link>
                      <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                      <category><![CDATA[/Blog]]></category>
                      <keywords><![CDATA[MLB, steroids, major league baseball, A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, baseball, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro]]></keywords>
                      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:51:00 -0400</pubDate>
                      <author>Tomer Berman</author>
                      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/184739</guid>
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                      <title><![CDATA[Cheer for Sundin]]></title>
                      <description><![CDATA[Mats Sundin deserves the accolades of all of Leafs Nation. &nbsp; When the former Leafs captain returns to the Air Canada Centre this weekend, he should be showered with cheers, not jeers. &nbsp; The 13 seasons spent in Toronto added up to four franchise records, and many other awards. He is also second in all-time assists, behind another Swede, Borje Salming. He was the first player to score 400 goals for the Buds, and was awarded last seasons Mark Messier Leadership Award. He is a sure-fire Hall of Fame player, and did it all in Toronto. &nbsp; The fans at the ACC always give warm welcomes to their great leaders. Darryl Sittler, Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour all receive standing ovations and have their numbers honoured by the organization. All of these players, like Sundin, played for other teams, after their glory years in the blue and white. Sundin should not be vilified for wanting to win a championship. With his numbers, he will find himself in the Hall of Fame. A Stanley Cup would solidify him as one of the greats. So when Sundin takes to the ice on Saturday, forget the drama of the past summer, forget all you have been fed by Sundin's detractors. All you need to do is remember. Remember the post-season drive in 1999. Remember October 11, 2007 when he scored his 390th goal to pass Darryl Sittler for the all-time lead in goals and points. These are the memories that should flood back when Sundin steps onto the ice at the ACC for the first time in another uniform. &nbsp; ty.warman@gmail.com]]></description>
                      
                      <link>http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/184546</link>
                      <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                      <category><![CDATA[/Blog]]></category>
                      <keywords><![CDATA[Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Darryl Sittler, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, NHL, Hall of Fame, ACC, Borje Salming]]></keywords>
                      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:06:50 -0400</pubDate>
                      <author>Tyler Warman</author>
                      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/184546</guid>
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                      <title><![CDATA[So You're Telling Me There's A Chance!]]></title>
                      <description><![CDATA[Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 There’s something about the first game back from All-Star weekend that screams, rejuvenation! It feels like a fresh start for the Toronto Raptors tonight at home against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.&nbsp; The “unofficial” second half of the season gets underway and the Raptors will be sporting a new look team.&nbsp; Shawn Marion, or “The Matrix” as he is also known, will make his debut along with Marcus Banks. Unfortunately, All-Star forward, Chris Bosh will be sidelined with his ongoing knee sprain, so the full effect of this trade won’t really be felt just yet. So the penultimate team in the Eastern Conference is five-and-a-half games out of a playoff spot with 27 games left in the season entering a key stretch of games.&nbsp; After tonight, the Raptors will play a home and home against the New York Knicks, one of the teams they must leapfrog in the standings, followed by a winnable game against Minnesota, before closing out the month in Phoenix. I am channelling my inner optimist, hoping that this season can still be saved, if only so Torontonians can experience some sort of playoff excitement from one of their major teams. So it begins tonight.&nbsp; Maybe these Raptors can recreate the same magic that led the 2002-2003 squad to an incredible turnaround.&nbsp; Maybe this team can go on a miraculous run to make it into the playoffs in the final stretch of the season.&nbsp; Maybe TSN2 and Rogers Communications can kiss and make up and basketball fans across the province can actually watch their team play. I know, I’m asking too much. &nbsp;n.granados@hotmail.com]]></description>
                      
                      <link>http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/184060</link>
                      <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                      <category><![CDATA[/Blog]]></category>
                      <keywords><![CDATA[Toronto Raptors, Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, Trade, Eastern Conference, Playoffs]]></keywords>
                      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:23:26 -0400</pubDate>
                      <author>Nelson Granados</author>
                      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/184060</guid>
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                      <title><![CDATA[Weekly Submission]]></title>
                      <description><![CDATA[Tickets are still available for UFC 97 in Montreal, and you can thank the government of Quebec. The debacle with the Quebec Boxing Commission (QBC), under the Régie des Alcools, des Courses et des Jeux, a government body, has had a huge impact on ticket sales. Last time the UFC stepped on Canadian soil, they had a record live event gate of $5.1 million and sold out in minutes when the tickets went on sale. This time, it’s not quite the same. The commission wants the UFC to change some of their basic rules. The easiest change for the UFC to make would be the size of the ring. The diameter of the UFC’s Octagon is 30 feet, while the regulations in Quebec call for a 24-foot diameter. Strikes with the knees and elbows would be disallowed, a real problem for the UFC and its fighters. The biggest obstacle for the organization, referees are to temporarily stop a fight, if a fighter is knocked to the ground by a legal strike. This will eliminate one of the biggest differences between mixed martial arts and boxing. Working from the ground, utilizing Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling, is a huge part of the sport and cannot be removed. This move reeks of some pretty nasty stuff. The rules fit into the scheme for StrikeBox, a new Canadian promotion. StrikeBox is run by Stephane Patry, a long time promoter of MMA in Quebec, who was the CEO of TKO, once Canada’s best promotion. There is no denying that the fans in Quebec would prefer to see a stand-up brawl, then a technical ground battle. But these new rules will end up costing everyone. Should the UFC decide not to hold another event in Montreal, they will never be back. The local economy, which has lost an F-1 race for this year and possibly longer, will suffer the most. Fighting was the one thing Montreal had above every other Canadian city. It was the fight capital of Canada. Now, the UFC, and any other promotion that wants to come to Canada, can look out West. Calgary and Edmonton both hold regular events, and will be more than willing to take the cast-offs from Quebec. For the UFC’s next foray into the great white north, there are still some tickets left, close to a week after they went on sale to Fight Club members. Buy them up quickly; it may be the UFC’s last card in Quebec. &nbsp; Quick Jabs What’s with the comebacks? Caol Uno, veteran of two UFC title fights, is coming back to the company. Uno is reported to have a verbal agreement with Spencer Fisher to fight at UFC 99. I guess old guys can still kind of fight. At Wargods: Valentine's Eve Massacre this weekend, both Tank Abbott and Ken Shamrock ended multi-year losing streaks. Shamrock won for the first time since 2004, and Abbott for the first time since 2005. These guys are old, and need to stop fighting. After his release from the UFC, Bellator Fighting Championships and PFC, War Machine has found his way into Canada. XMMA, a Canadian company that has featured Solomon Hutcherson and David Loiseau, has signed the controversial fighter to appear on its February 27th “Inferno” card. Let’s hope he doesn’t make some more controversial comments, if he does, here’s to hoping it’s about the QBC and it’s crazy new regulations. ty.warman@gmail.com]]></description>
                      
                      <link>http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/183639</link>
                      <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                      <category><![CDATA[/Blog]]></category>
                      <keywords><![CDATA[MMA, UFC, Quebec, Montreal, XMMA, Bellator Fighting Championships, War Machine, PFC, Ken Shamrock, Tank Abbott, Calgary, Edmonton, Alberta, F-1, Canadian Grand Prix, Boxing, StrikeBox, Stephane Patry]]></keywords>
                      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:31:23 -0400</pubDate>
                      <author>Tyler Warman</author>
                      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/183639</guid>
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                      <title><![CDATA[My picks for Canada's 2010 Olympic hockey team]]></title>
                      <description><![CDATA[Over the next year, Steve Yzerman's job as the general manager of Team Canada mens hockey team at the 2010 Olympic games may prove to be the toughest ever.&nbsp; He has been shouldered with the responsibility of putting together what might be the most talented roster in the history of the game. Below are my selections and line combinations if I were lucky enough to have the 'toughest' job in the country. Goalies: Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur, Carey Price. I'm not sure there any arguments against Luongo and Brodeur being the number one and two goaltenders in Vancouver.&nbsp; As the third goalie, Canada should bring the goalie of the future in Carey Price.&nbsp; Marc-Andre Fleury and Steve Mason are also options, but being that the third goalie will be relegated to press box duty, I'd pick the player most likely to take the ice in a future international tournament here. Forward Lines: Sidney Crosby - Vincent&nbsp;Lecavalier - Jarome Iginla Dany Heatley - Marc Savard - Simon Gagne Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Rick Nash Shane Doan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry Mike Richards Whichever 13 forwards are selected, the team will have an incredibly potent offence.&nbsp; But they key will be choosing players that have good chemistry.&nbsp; Having Thornton and Marleau, and Getzlaf and Perry play together will be a big plus for team Canada.&nbsp;&nbsp;They will not go with a 'checking' line like they did in Torino.&nbsp; The best defence is a good offence, and while picking defensively responsible players is important, snipers won't be left off the roster for any grinder or penalty killer.&nbsp; Defence Pairings Jay Boumeester - Scott Niedermayer Dan Boyle - Mike Green Dion Phaneuf - Chris Pronger Shea Weber A free flowing defence that features a bevy of puck carrying players.&nbsp; Boyle and Green will serve as a very talented #1 powerplay pairing.&nbsp; Dennis Wideman is the last man out if the team were selected today.&nbsp; Watch his progress, if he continues to progess next season he could find himself on this team.&nbsp; Taxi Squad: Jonathan Toews, Jeff Carter, Brent Burns. It's important to bring players who will definatley be on international teams in the future, while also picking talent that could be used in case of injury.&nbsp; These three fit the bill perfectly. This combination of talented goalies, potent offensive stars and fluid defenceman will definatley be the favourite for Gold on home ice in Vancouver. &nbsp; Agree or disagree with my 2010 Olympic team? Post your thoughts below or email me at r.bolta@sympatico.ca &nbsp;]]></description>
                      
                      <link>http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/183629</link>
                      <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                      <category><![CDATA[/Blog]]></category>
                      <keywords><![CDATA[Canada, Olympics, Steve Yzerman, Sidney Crosby, hockey]]></keywords>
                      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:18:46 -0400</pubDate>
                      <author>Ryan Bolta</author>
                      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/blog/post/183629</guid>
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