Owen Hargreaves's move is a risk worth taking for Manchester City | Andy Hunter

Manchester City are convinced the England midfielder is fit despite his dismal injury record

Manchester's billboards will not incite a feud this time. Just as there was no "Fergie, Fergie, sign him up" appeal as Owen Hargreaves approached his sad but inevitable end at Old Trafford, so the chant is unlikely to develop into a taunt from Manchester City even if the midfielder's knees do function again. It is a cross-city defection that intrigues more than infuriates and, also unlike the Carlos Tevez affair, it is a move that suits everyone involved.

For Hargreaves, the call from a club targeting both Premier League and Champions League success justifies that desperate fitness advertisement on YouTube and his prevaricating over a good offer to resurrect his career at West Bromwich Albion.

His last competitive appearance lasted all of five minutes against Wolverhampton Wanderers in November 2010. It ended with England's player of the 2006 World Cup (a minuscule field, admittedly) in tears inside the Old Trafford dressing room with, as became the norm during his four years with United, only a physiotherapist for company. Hamstring torn, calf torn, faint hopes of a contract extension from Sir Alex Ferguson in tatters.

The 30-year-old recently claimed he offered to play for free for United this season. Ferguson had good reason to decline and to release a player refreshingly lacking in ego, but whose determination to impress ? whether as a teenager arriving at Bayern Munich from Canada or as an established international who arrived at United with an �18m price tag and a serious injury ? ultimately cost him the peak years of his career.

Hargreaves made 18 league starts for United in four seasons. He has made only five competitive first-team appearances in three years ? 182 minutes in total ? and his last 90-minute outing came in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in September 2008. Since that day at Chelsea, a game that left his troubled knees so rigid he was unable to drive for three days, Hargreaves's United career amounts to six minutes ? as a last-minute substitute at Sunderland in May 2010 and the ill-fated start against Wolves later that year.

The exasperation in Ferguson's voice increased when asked about United's forgotten midfielder last season. He had utmost sympathy for a player with chronic patellar tendinitis, a condition that left Hargreaves's knees in the poorest state that the surgeon Dr Richard Steadman, a world-renowned specialist who has saved the careers of a number of players including Alan Shearer, claims to have witnessed in 35 years. But it is believed the player's own choice of medical treatment caused disquiet at United. There were also suggestions that the United manager feared Hargreaves's physical battle had taken a mental toll too.

There is room for a midfielder with Hargreaves's attributes in the United squad but not, as Ferguson stated during their farewell conversation, if he obstructs the emergence of younger, fitter rivals. Tom Cleverley's development is the latest vindication of Ferguson's outlook and Ryan Tunnicliffe, now taking the loan route via Peterborough United, is further down the production line.

The United manager would not have allowed City's interest to influence his decision had he been aware of it. Any questions must be directed at those who signed off Hargreaves's medical in 2007, the player having damaged a patellar tendon at Bayern the previous season, and already have been.

City's offer is reward for Hargreaves's refusal to concede defeat following surgery on both knees, for his daily efforts at Carrington and global search for a solution to the pain. Through a friend, the basketball star Steve Nash, he got in touch with the LA Lakers' former athletic performance coordinator, Alex McKechnie, and spent a month at his clinic in Vancouver performing "movement re-education" exercises for three hours a day. Ferguson was so impressed by Hargreaves on his return that he elected to start him against Wolves. He would not wear the United shirt again.

City officials are adamant the 30-year-old is in good condition, as were Albion, and in Roberto Mancini's search for inexpensive cover for the holding midfielder Nigel De Jong, Hargreaves represents a risk worth taking.

The two parties are negotiating the structure of a one-year contract at the Etihad Stadium and he is unlikely to tip City over the edge of Uefa's financial fair play regulations. Unlike at other Premier League clubs, City have the resources to use Hargreaves sparingly.

The question the transfer raises for Hargreaves and City is not why, but why not?

• Manchester City
• Transfer window
• Manchester United

Andy Hunter

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/30/owen-hargreaves-manchester-city

Nazem Kadri Jon Kalinski Tomas Kana Bracken Kearns

The NHL coaching landscape, then and now

Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres is the NHL's longest-tenured coach, hired in July 1997. Nashville Predators Coach Barry Trotz was actually hired one month later, but the Preds' inaugural season was the following year.

The next longest-tenured coach entering 2011-12? It's a tie: Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings and Randy Carlyle of the Anaheim Ducks both have six seasons with their teams to their credit, despite the fact that Carlyle had been on the hot seat for at least half of that occupancy.

At the other end of the spectrum, there will be six new head coaches in the NHL this season.

Coming up, a look at the current NHL coaching landscape and how it compares with how the League's coaching ranks looked 10 years ago.

NHL 2011-12 season

(Keep in mind the tenure is for the seasons with one team leading up to this season.)

Team	Coach	Tenure (seasons)	Team	Coach	Tenure (seasons)
Anaheim Ducks	Randy Carlyle	6	Nashville Predators	Barry Trotz	12
Boston Bruins	Claude Julien	4	New Jersey Devils	Peter DeBoer	0
Buffalo Sabres	Lindy Ruff	13	New York Islanders	Jack Capuano	1
Calgary Flames	Brent Sutter	2	New York Rangers	John Tortorella	2
Carolina Hurricanes	Paul Maurice	3	Ottawa Senators	Paul MacLean	0
Chicago Blackhawks	Joel Quenneville	3	Philadelphia Flyers	Peter Laviolette	2
Colorado Avalanche	Joe Sacco	2	Phoenix Coyotes	Dave Tippett	2
Columbus Blue Jackets	Scott Arniel	1	Pittsburgh Penguins	Dan Bylsma	3
Dallas Stars	Glen Gulutzan	0	San Jose Sharks	Todd McLellan	3
Detroit Red Wings	Mike Babcock	6	St. Louis Blues	Davis Payne	2
Edmonton Oilers	Tom Renney	1	Tampa Bay Lightning	Guy Boucher	1
Florida Panthers	Kevin Dineen	0	Toronto Maple Leafs	Ron Wilson	3
Los Angeles Kings	Terry Murray	3	Vancouver Canucks	Alain Vigneault	5
Minnesota Wild	Mike Yeo	0	Washington Capitals	Bruce Boudreau	4
Montreal Canadiens	Jacques Martin	2	Winnipeg Jets	Claude Noel	0

A few notes:

? The average tenure of an NHL coach is 2.86 years in 2011.

? Six Seven active NHL coaches have won the Stanley Cup as a head coach.

? Taking out the Ruff and Trotz anomalies, as they've apparently made some "Damn Yankees"-esque bargain with Beelzebub to never be fired (or they're just really damn good), the mark of longevity in the NHL today would be the 5-year mark. Babcock, Carlyle and Vigneault are there; Julien and Boudreau reach it during this season.

? Six new coaches this season, and two of them have NHL-level head coaching experience. (DeBoer with the Panthers, Noel with that cup of coffee with the Blue Jackets.) Go back a year, and then trend continues, with Renney being the only veteran hire. Even the Devils went the newbie route with John MacLean. Whoops.

For comparison's sake and for [expletives] and grins, we decided to climb into the DeLorean and warp back a decade to survey the coaching landscape.

NHL 2001-02 season

Team	Coach	Tenure (seasons)	Team	Coach	Tenure (seasons)
Anaheim Ducks	Bryan Murray	0	Nashville Predators	Barry Trotz	3
Boston Bruins	Robbie Ftorek	0	New Jersey Devils	Larry Robinson	2
Buffalo Sabres	Lindy Ruff	4	New York Islanders	Peter Laviolette	0
Calgary Flames	Greg Gilbert	1	New York Rangers	Ron Low	1
Carolina Hurricanes	Paul Maurice	4 (6 total, including Hartford)	Ottawa Senators	Jacques Martin	6
Chicago Blackhawks	Brian Sutter	0	Philadelphia Flyers	Bill Barber	1
Colorado Avalanche	Bob Hartley	3	Phoenix Coyotes	Bobby Francis	3
Columbus Blue Jackets	Dave King	1	Pittsburgh Penguins	Ivan Hlinka	1
Dallas Stars	Ken Hitchcock	9	San Jose Sharks	Darryl Sutter	4
Detroit Red Wings	Scotty Bowman	8	St. Louis Blues	Joel Quenneville	5
Edmonton Oilers	Craig MacTavish	1	Tampa Bay Lightning	John Tortorella	1
Florida Panthers	Duane Sutter	1	Toronto Maple Leafs	Pat Quinn	3
Los Angeles Kings	Andy Murray	2	Vancouver Canucks	Marc Crawford	3
Minnesota Wild	Jacques Lemaire	1	Washington Capitals	Ron Wilson	4
Montreal Canadiens	Michel Therrien	1	(Atlanta Thrashers)	Curt Fraser	2

First off, keep in mind the last round of expansion was in 2000, so four of these teams were still in their relative infancy.

? Hence, the average tenure of an NHL coach in 2001-02 was lower than now: 2.5 years.

? Six NHL coaches in 2001-02 had won the Stanley Cup as a head coach prior to that season.

? Eight of the 30 are still NHL head coaches today, but many are still coaching 10 years later: Andy Murray and Bob Hartley overseas (Ed. Note: Murray's in the NCAA); Craig MacTavish down in the AHL. Still more are "waiting for the call" like Therrien and Hitchcock.

? Two of the three new coaches that season had prior NHL experience, Laviolette being the exception. Of the coaches that had just one year of experience, seven of 10 were in their first NHL coaching gigs. So it wasn't just a collection of retreads back then ? it's just that their newbies became our retreads.

Can't wait for 10 years from now when Mike Yeo's name comes up for a gig and the fans' immediate reaction is, "That guy again?!"

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/The-NHL-coaching-landscape-then-and-now?urn=nhl-wp11270

Mike Richards Brad Richardson Zac Rinaldo Mattias Ritola

Matt Kenseth: NASCAR Competition Makes Chase Too Hard To Predict

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/8/31/2396223/matt-kenseth-nascar-competition-2011-chase-predictions

Mark Pysyk Kevin Quick Kyle Quincey Brian Rafalski

Park Chu-young resembles a Wenger player but Arsenal fans may disagree | John Duerden

The forward was Asian Young Player of 2004 and impressed at Monaco but may have to do more to win over the Emirates

"I had to choose between Lille and Arsenal," said Park Chu-young as he arrived home in South Korea on Monday for national team duty. "I wanted to choose without regret." Whether Ars�ne Wenger will say the same after signing the 26-year-old striker remains to be seen.

The fee is low, around �3m but is less a reflection of ability than a two-year military tour of duty that starts in 2013, though he may be able to join a police team instead in 2014. That deadline, a 2012 Olympic medal grants exemption, was why the player was increasingly desperate to leave Monaco after three years and why, with a deal almost done on Saturday, he dropped everything at Lille to head to London.

Park has been a huge star in his homeland since becoming Asian Young Player of 2004 and impressing for FC Seoul from 2005. Later, he suffered from injuries, loss of form and confidence ? for a while one-on-ones became painful to watch. It was only after a move to Monaco in 2008 that he really started to develop into one of Asia's best strikers.

That accolade may not impress Arsenal fans and even his Asian fans don't expect Park to become an automatic starter anytime soon. The feeling was that after impressing on the Mediterranean, Park had earned the chance to play on a bigger stage and French champions Lille sounded about right. Arsenal interest was a surprise but every time the Daegu-born striker has had the chance to make the step to the next level, he has done so.

Twelve goals out of a total of 38 in Monaco's relegation season is a good return but although Park's finishing has improved, it remains erratic. Comparisons to Nikolas Bendtner end there however. The hard-working Korean offers much more technically than the Dane. At times, Monaco lamented the lack of a killer instinct ? perhaps Lille would disagree ? but will miss his vision, touch and awareness around the penalty area.

With an Arsenal squad stretched, Park brings versatility ? he can play on the left or right but prefers the middle ? and pace. A six-footer, he will adapt to the rigours of English football more quickly than Park Ji-sung or Lee Chung-yong. The South Korean captain takes a better free-kick than Theo Walcott as demonstrated against Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup. A good header of the ball with a good head on his shoulders (an IQ of 150) he has the look of a Wenger player, though again, that may not be what Arsenal fans currently want to hear.

With a pre-season tour of Asia and the addition of Ryo Miyaichi from Japan, the London club are suddenly active in the far eastern market. Despite the hype, most European teams receive little commercial boost from Asian players. This could be different. Arsenal can make Miyaichi a star at home but Park already is one.

It can't be too long before Arsenal credit cards (it is rarely about shirts) are a new must-have item in Seoul. Park now has to show he can earn similar status in London.

• Arsenal
• Transfer window

John Duerden

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/30/park-chu-young-wenger-arsenal

Mat Clark Grant Clitsome Braydon Coburn Colby Cohen

Bourne Blog: The great pranks of the hockey dressing room

As a hockey player, you spend what seems like a ridiculous amount of time at the arena. It's only natural that the hours leading up to and after practice get boring.

The natural cure for the boredom then, is to mess with as many of your teammates as possible. Yes, pranks.

I was never a huge fan of this stuff. I've always thought the dressing room should be a safe haven where you can relax, prepare, and have a good ol' time. It doesn't need to be stressful.

But, thanks to a couple grown-up kids in there, you always have to stay on guard. I got to a point where as long as I wasn't involved, I enjoyed watching the battles from the outside.

The pranks come in varying levels of the seriousness ? some are meant as revenge for some perceived slight, while others are for sheer entertainment value.

A rookie who sasses off a little too much probably won't immediately get yelled at or decked as much as he'll just get tortured for a good week or two.

About the only prank I enjoyed taking part in was semi-cutting a guy's laces before practice, just enough so he snaps them while lacing up. It's infuriating.

Ideally, you want him to be putting on his skates just before heading out onto the ice thinking everything is fine. You just pick a spot on the laces and whittle it down so there's just a few threads holding together, and voila.

You want the guy to look for the cut in his laces (lazy people use scissors and actually cut 'em) and not find it, then wonder if it was a teammate or karma. He'll immediately look around the room to see who's watching him -- he won't see anyone, of course, but when lace number two goes ... he'll know.

Best-case scenario: You make him late for practice.

Also fun: Taking the plug out of a guy's stick and putting a penny or two in there, then putting the plug back in and taping a fresh knob. We're kids, people. There's nothing diabolical in any of these oh-so-complex schemes, it's purely for entertainment value.

If you're feeling like a real jerk, you can fill it with water. Watching a guy pick his stick up and go "oh, c'mon" is always a fun moment.

A lot of this stuff is just about "getting" a guy, even if it doesn't affect his morning.

Exhibit A for that is the cup of water in the shinpads.

You keep your shinpads on the top of your stall in most arenas. Being that you can't see all the way up there, it's a nice place for a teammate to plant a full cup of water, so when you pull down the shinpads to put them on, you dump water on yourself.

There are moves that take some time ? injured players usually stay in the locker room to get treatment while guys are on the ice. That time on the training table while you wait for the electrical stimulation machine to run its course can be used to sew the legs of your friend's jeans together, or sewing the leg holes shut.

If you can actually get someone to trip while dressing due to that, it's basically the Stanley Cup of prank success.

There is, however, some code involved with some of this stuff.

As a hockey player, you know to not sit down in a restaurant with your back facing the team ? you're too easily shoe checked there. A corner seat is ideal, but you want to at least have your back to a wall (I still sit like this today, force of habit).

A shoe check is the most petty thing ever ? somebody crawls under the table with a spoonful of something gross from the meal (ranch dressing, maybe?), dumps it on the toe of a guy's shoe, and crawls back. Most people see it happening, so it's their job to distract the target.

If the guy makes it back, the whole team will clang their glasses with their utensil of choice, and the recipient will show the team that yes, in fact, he was "got" (I've seen suede shoes ruined thanks to this stupid game). This happens at just about every meal, it's mind-boggling that guys seem to think it never gets old.

The code part: If you catch a guy trying to shoe check you, it's pretty universally accepted that you're allowed to dump the nearest pitcher of water on him with zero repercussions.

(Often, rookies will get set up ? "Hey, go shoe check Smitty." Meanwhile, Smitty is well informed the kid is on the way, and has plenty of water for dumping nearby).

Whether it's Icy Hot in the jock or setting up leaners in the hotel (leaning a full garbage can of water on someone's door so when they open it?), it's just a part of the life. No relaxing allowed.

At times, it wears on you, but what are you supposed to do? The more you complain, the more you'll get coming your way, so just remember to check your shinpads before pulling them down, open your hotel door gingerly, watch your feet and stay on guard.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Bourne-Blog-The-great-pranks-of-the-hockey-dres?urn=nhl-wp11221

Mikhail Stefanovich Derek Stepan Ryan Stoa Jarret Stoll

Wife?s health scare made Penguins? Matt Cooke a changed man

Contrary to popular belief, Matt Cooke is not a monster.

He helps run the Cooke Family Foundation of Hope, a fundraising charity that was founded after his sister-in-law had a daughter born without a heartbeat. His first phone call after a Pittsburgh Penguins home game is to his family: wife Michelle and three children. The tender scenes between Cooke and his family on "HBO 24/7" echoed their affection in real life.

How that warm persona off the ice squares with the injurious cheap-shot artist on the ice has always been difficult to comprehend. But according to a revealing story by Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Cooke's dedication to his family may have helped change his game for the Penguins -- gaining perspective while nearly losing his wife.

According to Rossi, Cooke's wife Michelle was hospitalized for 10 days in January, undergoing "four surgical procedures to remove a mass three-quarters inch in diameter that clogged her left kidney's exit valve and infected her lungs and diaphragm."

Along with his concern for his wife's wellbeing, Cooke had to shoulder major changes in his daily routine as she recovered during the NHL season. From the Tribune-Review:

Game-day naps were jettisoned for tending to Reece, 10, and Jackson, 7. (Gabby, 18, was attending high school near Bellville, Ontario.) Practices were a brief respite from handling the duties of father and mother while Michelle recovered.

Work never came home with Cooke, who didn't tell his wife he had been suspended four games for a Feb. 8 check from behind on [Fedor] Tyutin. He did not disclose that Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, on several occasions, tapped Cooke on the shoulder during a game and asked, "Are you with us, Matt?"

Bylsma said he has asked Cooke and other Penguins that question before, but he conceded the circumstances with Cooke were different. "We knew what he was dealing with," Bylsma said. "He never would use it as an excuse for anything."

Nor did Cooke use it as excuse for his reckless play last season. But he has used it for inspiration for how to change his behavior on the ice.

As we covered on Monday, Cooke now claims he's changed his "approach to the game" in an effort to curb his suspension-worthy offenses and injurious play. Said Cooke: "It's a mentality, it's how I'm going to approach the game ... And the team has worked hard in supporting me to accomplish these minor tweaks in my game.''

Via Rossi, it appears last season's personal strife has served as his inspiration, beginning around the time when Cooke was suspended for a head shot on New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh:

"I'm sure it all happens for a reason," he said. "It all affects you in one way or another. I can't pinpoint and say when (Michelle) was in the hospital and immediately after hitting (McDonagh) that there was this moment, but ...

"I've got this chance, and I need to look at it as an opportunity to show everybody that I can change my approach, that I can play within the rules. The rest of my career can be proving that it's possible to change. It has to be about that. There's no excuse for it not to be about that."

This story shouldn't be seen as a way for Cooke to cull sympathy or explain away his sins of the past. Rather, it should be seen within the context of his future in the NHL.

Matt Cooke's been telling anyone who'll listen he's going to be a changed man. At the very least, this personal crisis, and the epiphany he claims is connected to it, should elevate those vows of reform to something greater than perfunctory promises.

Maybe Matt Cooke can change. Question is, what kind of player will he become if he does?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Wife-s-health-scare-made-Penguins-Matt-Cooke-a-?urn=nhl-wp11087

Steve Begin Eric Belanger Patrice Bergeron Patrik Berglund

Arsenal find that money talks in battle to keep pace with the jet set | Kevin McCarra

Ars�ne Wenger is in danger of being swept aside in the spate of cash unleashed by Chelsea and Manchester City

Arsenal have been swallowed up by the long shadow of that 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford. In addition to the immediate agony, the result raised questions as to whether the club can maintain its membership of the Premier League elite. The fees are exorbitant and Arsenal have come no higher than third since they were runners-up in 2005. Property development around the Emirates should be a boon eventually, but a sluggish economy causes delays.

Manchester United have no such worries and means could even be found for a splurge if necessary. The sport is usually dominated by the wealthy. If United's commercial operations are formidable, Chelsea and Manchester City, the expected challengers, are funded by indulgent proprietors. The public's mind is often taken off financial anxieties by the extravagance that still persists in football.

Only a curmudgeon could complain when City have David Silva and Sergio Ag�ero in the lineup as well as Edin Dzeko, scorer of four goals in the 5-1 rout at White Hart Lane. It was just last season that Tottenham Hotspur were in the Champions League, where they got to the quarter-finals before going out to Real Madrid.

Fans might look back on that campaign with disbelief. Access to the tournament appears, after all, as if it will be even more restricted in future. Money has often been critical to success in football but the materialism is unusually pronounced among most of England's elite at the present. The Glazers, proprietors of United, are exceptions of a sort since there is no requirement to subsidise the club from their own funds.

Elsewhere, owners bear regular losses. Since the start of 2011, Roman Abramovich, right, has approved outlay at Chelsea of well over �100m, in total, for Fernando Torres, David Luiz, Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku, with the desire to sign Luka Modric still intense. The Stamford Bridge club, however, cannot face quite so many charges of gross materialism when indignation has to be kept in store for City.

While a club such as Liverpool have made great efforts to improve their squad, the arrival of Luis Su�rez, Andy Carroll and others has been financed to a notable extent by the Torres sale. Cash is generated more easily by those who are already wealthy.

Sir Alex Ferguson's impact at Old Trafford has intensified the allure the club has held for generations. The craving of businesses to be associated with United verged on self-parody when DHL chose to sponsor the training kit for �10m a year.

Liverpool, aiming to achieve a better financial footing, have long contemplated a new stadium to be built in Stanley Park but such a project is taxing even to contemplate. Indeed the club has been pondering the scheme and striving to advance it since 2001.

Elsewhere these matters can barely be a consideration. While City may not own the ground at which they play, the naming rights to what is now the Etihad Stadium still brought them �400m, over a 10-year period, from the airline. City, of course, are owned by Sheikh Mansour, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.

There are dilemmas in all this. Efforts by individuals to spend their way to domination of football are nothing new and there is often comic effect when projects go badly wrong. No one in the public at large minds a fiasco of that sort, but money can obtain success, especially when it is spent with the sort of finesse that made Jack Walker's Blackburn Rovers champions of England in 1995.

There was a romance to that, all the more so since the club were not to repeat the achievement. The present-day situation is rather different, with owners aiming to put their club in a permanent elite dependent on means that others will never enjoy.

Manchester United cannot be put in that category and would most likely by overjoyed if financial fair play regulations encumbered their challengers. As it is, the spate of cash unleashed by City and Chelsea in particular sweeps the game along excitingly, despite the misgivings among the authorities.

Michel Platini, the president of Uefa, presses on with his financial fair play initiative and many clubs would be grateful if they were saved from their extravagant selves and forced to be prudent. A dilemma lies at the heart of all this. The spectacle of astonishing footballers holds us in thrall to such an extent that we avoid thinking of the way in which wealth warps the sport as a whole.

Ultimately, however, there would be an increased diversity and a greater element of surprise if clubs were denied "financial doping" and made to play clean. The perspective of an oligarch is one the rest of us can barely imagine but perhaps even they might come to value the element of surprise that is critical to sport.

• Arsenal
• Premier League
• Manchester United
• Manchester City
• Chelsea
• Liverpool

Kevin McCarra

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/29/arsenal-money-premier-league

Michael Vernace Ivan Vishnevskiy Lubomir Visnovsky Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Puck Headlines: Sidney Crosby mysteries; Coyotes sale update

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

? Oh, Shop NHL. [via Ted Starkey]

? The latest from that mess in the desert: Glendale officials are (again) optimistic about closing the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes by the end of the year, and former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison doesn't want to use bond sales to fund his purchase effort and is "adamant about keeping the team in Glendale." [AZCentral]

? The 10 best games of the NHL regular season. Well, 24 if you count the 15 games on April 7. [THN]

? The Tim Thomas sandwich. How this isn't a porterhouse dunked in Sam Adams and sandwiched between two ribeyes is beyond us. [Days of Y'Orr]

? Jeff Marek on Sidney Crosby's health mystery: "There is a way to settle this all down and that's for Crosby himself to come out and update where he's at. And while this is not to cast any aspersions on the credibility of Brisson and Shero, they are in the business of protecting their client/star player. And while a statement from Crosby wouldn't make this story go away it certainly would sharpen the pencils around the story a little finer. " [Sportsnet]

? That sentiment is echoed by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review's Dejan Kovacevic: "I keep hearing from readers accusing the Penguins of being less than forthright about Crosby, or even of outright lying. Sorry, I'm not there. When I asked Lemieux and coach Dan Bylsma and, really, just about everyone at this event what they knew about Crosby, the shrugs were genuine. They don't know. Crosby isn't communicating with them much and, when he does, he apparently isn't sharing much." [Tribune]

? Here's a call to Elliot In The Morning (DC 101 in Washington) regarding Sidney Crosby's retirement. Some dude's uncle heard Mario say something in French at a restaurant. [Via reader Metal Nick]

? Rooting against Matt Cooke, despite his claims of reform. [Barstool Sports]

? The most random Rick Rypien tribute of all time? Lil Wayne, at a concert in Montreal. [NHL Hot List, NSFW language]

? The Washington Capitals have signed forward Stanislav Galiev to a three-year entry-level contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced Wednesday. [Capitals]

? The Florida Panthers are hosting a "Paint The Ice Red" event on Aug. 30. "As part of the event, the approximately 300 season ticket holders that have been with the Panthers since the franchise's inception will have the opportunity to take part in the ice painting process including painting the red line, blue lines, goal crease and more." And then they'll have the chance to mournfully stare at their seat in the arena one year before they can no longer afford to sit there any longer. [Panthers]

? Ville Leino at center has to be one of the more interesting gambles of the season for the Buffalo Sabres. [Sabres Noise]

? Brad May on hockey fighting and substance abuse: "Drinking alcohol is not a bad thing if you can control it, but if it controls you, that's when it's a bad thing. Sometimes when people drink they do it to get away from their fears or inhibitions." [Sportsnet]

? Speaking of drinking, NHL players have embraced BioSteel as their sports drink of choice. Money quote from trainer Matt Nichol: "Gatorade's got a league-wide deal and a lot more money than me. ? They're pretty smart. But I think you could probably drink a vodka soda out of the Gatorade bottle as long as it's in the right bottle." [Globe & Mail]

? Tom Renney on Nikolai Khabibulin for the Edmonton Oilers: "I certainly don't expect Nikolai Khabibulin to play 70 games. I'm not sure he can play 60. I'm not sure he can play 50. That's the great mystery here." Oh dear. [Cult of Hockey]

? First impressions of the NHL 12 demo: "Initialing a goalie fight is pretty easy, once your team takes the puck out of the zone, just simply free sake up past the blue line, and sometime after you cross that and before you hit the red line, you should activate the goalie fight. I'm not sure if this is available at any time of game, as I've only done it twice, both of which were near the end of games my team was losing by multiple goals." [Cluster Pucks]

? Finally, OMG IT'S REIM TIME:

James Reimer Autograph Signing at the Hockey Hall of Fame from Michael Briggs on Vimeo.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Puck-Headlines-Sidney-Crosby-mysteries-Coyotes?urn=nhl-wp11110

Joonas Lehtivuori Jordan Leopold Sami Lepisto Kris Letang

Hockey Guilty Pleasures: Dennis Kane, Canadiens blogger

(Ed. Note: Our series "Puck Daddy's Guilty Pleasures" features puckheads from all walks of life answering questions about their own hockey-related guilty pleasures. It will run daily during the month of August. Have a suggestion for a "Guilty Pleasures" guest blogger? Hit us on email. Enjoy!)

Today's Special Guest: Dennis Kane, Montreal Canadiens-centric blogger at Dennis-Kane.com and "was a 21 year old bartender in Sudbury when the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series took place."

1. The Player You Most Love To Hate

Of course there are several players I love to hate, but I'm sure you don't want me to list the entire Bruins lineup. So instead, I'll just say that I suppose over the years, Jarkko Ruutu is the guy I most wanted to see some kind of payback dealt to. It's the smile as he backs away from someone wanting to pulverize him.

I can understand how Maxim Lapierre grates on people the same way, but he was a Hab so I cut him some slack. Brad Marchand seems to be picking up the torch that Ruutu is leaving behind, but his smile doesn't measure up.

2. Other Than Your Own, The Team You Can't Help Rooting For

I'm funny that way. I've never been able to have any kind of soft spot for any other team. The Calgary Flames were nice to me once when I asked for something, but mostly, I dislike all of them. However, I could say St. Petersburg SKA in the KHL. I have a strong connection with this Russian city and saw SKA play several times, before the KHL existed.

3. Favorite Fight or Brawl of All-Time

I was at Maple Leaf Gardens one night in the 1960's when John Ferguson and Eddie Shack squared off several times. They were head-butting each other, and both teams emptied their benches and the crowd cheered and booed and threw things, and it was all quite lovely.

I also enjoyed seeing Mario Tremblay and Bobby Schmautz in 1978 dance and shadow box and look threatening, and when Schmautz was least expecting it. Tremblay popped him square in the nose. There's a great old photo of it out there somewhere as fist hits face and Schmautz's eyes are wide open like he'd seen a ghost.

4. The Hideous-Looking Hockey Jersey You Secretly Love The Most

I've heard people complain about the Minnesota Wild jersey but I really like it. The ones with the old-school lettering on the crest.

Far and away though, the most hideous hockey jerseys are the European ones plastered with ads. I've never gotten used to seeing these, almost need shades when looking at, and maybe this is cheating, but I don't secretly love these at all.

5. Your Favorite Hockey Clich� (terminology, traditions, announcer-speak, etc.)

There's one tradition I'd like to see back again ? players from both teams doing like they did years ago- sitting in the penalty box together after a set-to on the ice. Imagine. Maybe the less-than-brave wouldn't be so anxious to mix it up if they had to continue socializing with angry opponents for a couple of extra minutes. I'm partial to Habs goals being announced. And how can I forget the night Bob Cole dramatically announced that Doug Gilmour had taken a big dump at center ice.

6. The Injury You Couldn't Stop Staring At (Non-Skate Lacerations Only)

Not that I wanted to keep looking at it, but it seemed wherever I went, including airport televisions, the Chara hit on Max Pacioretty kept coming up long after the fact.

I saw a junior player in Powell River become paralyzed for life after accidently slamming into the boards, and when the Pacioretty hit first happened and they were tending to him on the ice, it was all I could think about. My wife crying didn't help either.

7. Your Favorite Cheesy Hockey Reference in Popular Culture

A hockey reference in everyday life?� "Scoring" is always good. "Dangle" makes me slightly uneasy. And if a big, strapping teenager has his baseball hat on backwards and wears floppies, he's probably a hockey player.

7a. Your Favorite Terrible Hockey Card Or Hockey Action Figure.

A 1974 Jacques Lemaire card with him in a Buffalo Sabres uniform, a team he never played for.

I can only imagine the jokes in the Habs dressing room at the time. (Photo via Shoebox Legends.)

8. Finally, What's The Thing You Secretly Respect Gary Bettman For The Most?

I respect Gary Bettman for his, uh, nice suits.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Hockey-Guilty-Pleasures-Dennis-Kane-Canadiens-?urn=nhl-wp11250

Luke Schenn Drew Schiestel Craig Schira David Schlemko

US Open 2011 diary | Kevin Mitchell

The tournament is about to get under way, but the biggest question is what's with Novak Djokovic and the magic egg?

Novak Djokovic, injured but still many people's favourite to win the 2011 US Open, has been putting on a convincing front in these weird days of earthquakes, hurricanes and, now, a magic egg.

Since he left Cincinnati with a long face and damaged right shoulder after quitting against Andy Murray in the final, he has been out and about in New York promoting his daft video on Maria Sharapova, produced another with a singing fish and then popped up briefly on Friday at the National Tennis Center. He was in excellent spirits. On Saturday, with much of New York battened down waiting for the end of the world, he, Janko Tipsarevic and Jelena Jankovic found a Serbian restaurant open.

But there have been precious few chances for the media to ask him about his injury. On Sunday, when we went looking for him again, he tweeted, "Don't worry, be happy. Enjoying the easy day, indoors."

Never frightened to try something new, the player who embraced a gluten-free diet en route to winning 57 of 59 games this season, has gone one step further: getting into a pod that simulates "high altitude and compresses the muscles at rhythmic intervals".

According to the manufacturer, CVAC Systems in California (where else?), 20 minutes three times in a week in one of its machines improves circulation, boosts red blood cells, removes lactic acid and "possibly even stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and stem cell production". Right.

So, the mystery can be revealed: while the rest of New York has been contemplating Armageddon, Djokovic has been sitting inside a giant egg, still tweeting and hoping his arm recovers in time for the Open.

He has been holed up at the sprawling New Jersey estate of the former tour battler, Gordon Uehling III, who has one of only 20 of the $75,000 pods. Djokovic, otherwise as open as a book, is unusually defensive about his training methods and diets and, although he has been visiting Uehling for four years, this is the first time he has confirmed the existence of the egg.

"I think it really helps," the world No1 told the Wall Street Journal, "not with muscle but more with recovery after an exhausting set. It's like a spaceship. It's very interesting technology."

We wish him well. But that right arm looked in bad shape in Ohio. If all this space-age stuff doesn't help, Djokovic represents a great potential scalp for the Irish qualifier, Conor Niland, in the first round.

You read it here first (or not, if he triple-bagels Niland, goes on to win the title and then flies over Flushing Meadows in a cape and underpants).

CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?

When the US Open reopens for business on Monday morning, players will be quizzed briefly about what they made of an eventful weekend. Andy Murray will probably say he was gobsmacked by United's 8-2 win over Arsenal. "Can't believe what I've just seen," the not-so-closet Gooner tweeted on Sunday.

Unless, of course, he was talking about the linguistic somersaults performed by TV reporters trying to justify their hysteria over Irene, who barely kissed Manhattan with her wet lips.

The last time a hurricane and serious flooding accompanied a grand slam tournament was at the Australian Open in January ? and that was a major catastrophe, thousands of miles away from the tennis in Queensland. The only effect of the heavy rain in Melbourne was a burst water pipe that briefly flooded a street.

STAT CITY

There are 14 Americans and 14 Frenchmen in the men's draw and the best of the locals, Mardy Fish (the 8th seed), might be a good bet to make the semi-finals. He plays on day one, and should make short work of the German Tobias Kamke. Ga�l Monfils is France's highest seed at No7, and plays the "Bulgarian Federer", Grigor Dimitrov. As well as Monfils played against Djokovic in Cincinnati, I remember too well his collapse against the Serb the previous week in Montreal. He will go around without any of mine ? that's if I were allowed to have a bet.

Again, Andy Murray is Britain's only player in the singles draw. Japan have three representatives, for the first time in a slam since Roland Garros 37 years ago. Two of them, Kei Nishikori and Go Soeda, also play on Monday.

Santiago Giraldo is one of three Colombians competing. He plays the five-time champion Roger Federer; if the great man wins, he joins Andre Agassi in second place for most grand slam match wins in the Open era. Giraldo should consult his compatriot Alejandro Falla about Fed ? he took him to five sets in the first round of Wimbledon last year. Then again, Falla might not be in the mood to talk tennis after playing the tough Viktor Troicki.

Feisty, talented 18-year-old Aussie Bernard Tomic is the youngest man in the draw. He plays 30-year-old American Michael Yani. Tomic is the outsider to watch here ? at least up to the quarter-finals.

There are 26 men aged 30 and over in the singles draw, including new member of the 30 club, Federer. The last man over 30 to win a grand slam title was Agassi, who won the Australian Open in 2003.

And that's enough stats for one day.

• US Open 2011
• US Open tennis
• Novak Djokovic
• Tennis

Kevin Mitchell

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/aug/29/us-open-diary-novak-djokovic

Gilbert Brule Alex Burmistrov Paul Byron Gregory Campbell

Wayne Rooney's revival promises a flourish on the grand stage | Richard Williams

Wayne Rooney eclipsed not only Arsenal but his teenage self with a virtuoso display at Old Trafford on Sunday

It was not just the two beautifully executed free-kicks and the exemplary penalty. Everything else about Wayne Rooney's performance against Arsenal on Sunday spoke of a player restored to the peak of his powers, looking ? perhaps more than at any time since his teenage years ? as though he could take a football and do anything with it that he wished.

This was the performance of a complete No10 in the classic mould, a fantasist and a finisher in one package, inspiring his colleagues with a flow of nimble-witted, technically flawless interventions. The match was not a quarter of an hour old and still goalless when he orchestrated a move, involving multiple exchanges between Anderson, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck and himself, which looked like a high?spirited, anything-you-can-do pastiche of Arsenal's own intricate style. His new, slimmer silhouette seemed to be everywhere, at the heart of everything his side did. And this from a man who, quite recently, could not trap a bag of suet.

Two weeks short of a year ago Sir Alex Ferguson left Rooney out of Manchester United's squad for a trip to Goodison Park and nobody even bothered to pretend that he was injured. Ferguson claimed it was to spare the player the abuse of Everton fans still seething with resentment over his departure from the club that raised him. Mike Phelan, Ferguson's assistant, veered slightly off message by observing that "Wayne wasn't ready to play". Most of us peered through the smokescreen and concluded that United's manager was fed up with the way Rooney's life off the pitch was affecting his contribution on it.

The problem with his form went back to the spring, when he suffered an ankle injury during the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, and played part of the second leg despite having needed to wear a surgical boot while travelling back from Germany, but there seemed to be deeper reasons for a slump that coincided with England's trip to the World Cup finals. Right at the end of a season in which he had scored 35 goals for club and country and had been elected footballer of the year by both his fellow professionals and the football writers, every one of his primary assets ? instinct, control and strength ? had drained away and the only thing he left South Africa with was the shirt of Thomas M�ller, the scorer of two of Germany's four goals.

Six games for his club and 11 for England without scoring were the measure of this natural goalscorer's decline, and even after he finally scored for both ? a penalty against West Ham on 28 August 2010 and a brutal shot from Glen Johnson's cross against Switzerland 10 days later ? there would be only one more goal to celebrate before the end of the year.

But there were signs that he was perking up when he had a hand in all four goals against Bulgaria at Wembley four days before the meeting with the Swiss, and the arrival of Javier Hern�ndez as a strike partner at Old Trafford seemed to invigorate him. As the new year began he picked up pace, ending the season with 17 goals.

Already this year he has five goals in four games, and Fabio Capello, looking ahead to the trip to Bulgaria this week, would be justified in feeling that England have a brand-new player to set the tone for the remainder of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, rather than the sad figure, out of shape physically and mentally, who blundered through all four matches in South Africa, unable even to get out of his own way.

Rooney scored his 150th, 151st and 152nd goals for Manchester United on Sunday, at the start of his eighth season with the club. Yet he still has not scored for England in the finals of a major competition since 21 June 2004, when he bagged a pair against Croatia in Lisbon during the European Championship, having used the tournament as a platform to announce his arrival on the world stage, at the age of 18. If he can hold his present form until next summer, that will change.

• Wayne Rooney
• Manchester United
• England

Richard Williams

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/29/wayne-rooney-manchester-united-england

Nicholas Drazenovic Chris Drury Brandon Dubinsky Matt Duchene

Andr� Villas-Boas masters art of post-match put down

The Chelsea manager has clearly put in the hard yards studying the techniques of Messrs Dalglish and Ferguson

Britain's great gift to the world is undoubtedly sarcasm ? that, and Marmite ? so congratulations to Chelsea's new coach, Andr� Villas-Boas on picking up the lingua franca so quickly, alongside everything else he has had to deal with in his new life: Roman Abramovich, a suddenly wobbly defence, and finding something on TV that isn't Come Dine With Me.

When it was suggested to Villas-Boas on Match Of The Day that Ramires seemed to go down too easily for the penalty which saw the Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy sent off, he responded, with what I took to be an ironic smile. "Yes, that's right, all our players seem to go down. Others don't go down. It's good to be aware of this difference of opinion."

All right, he lost it a little at the end, but here clearly was a man who, before taking the job at Chelsea, had not only done his homework on the English Premier League, but had also put in the hard yards studying the collected post-match interviews of Messrs Dalglish and Ferguson. Mind you, his compatriot Jos� Mourinho was not averse to giving earnest interviewers the bum's rush, so maybe the biting put-down is yet another area in which our belief that we lead the world is little more than a sad delusion.

This is not a situation we intend to accept meekly here at Screen Break headquarters, where a permanent sneer is the minimum requirement of new recruits, and a ready supply of rainwater is always on hand lest we should see a parade. So, imagine our delight on receiving a call from old friend Will Buckley, former fellow sneerer of this parish, now just doing a spot of sneering in his spare time, with the information that John Fashanu is hosting Deal Or No Deal Nigeria, available here on The Africa Channel on Sky.

I will run that by you one more time; the former Wimbledon striker and co-host of Gladiators is the black Noel Edmonds. This seemed such an open goal that I gave the job to one of my work experience chaps, who reports back that the warmth and humanity of Edmonds that made him such a well- loved figure in the TV world ? quick learner, this lad ? has been largely dropped by Fash in favour of leering at the young women they enlist to carry the suitcases of money.

"Deal Or No Deal is all about glamour," announces our host at the start of the show, "and we couldn't have glamour without our twenty-six beautiful models. Please welcome twenty-six of the most beautiful, gorgeous, wonderful True Love models. Ladies come on down. Hello ladies. Wow, do you see what I mean?"

My keen young trainee also brought to my attention some interesting ads during the show, including one for ChristianMingle.com ? where you can find "God's match for you." "Isn't God rather supposed to be in charge of that sort of thing himself?" the cheeky young scamp asked. "And if not, what did he do before the internet?" You do not want to stifle enthusiasm, but I had to warn him to leave that sort of material to more experienced sneerers.

Still, his sterling work did free me to address more general questions such as; is anyone still watching Daybreak on ITV? I have barely seen the programme since it started but was unfortunate enough to witness half an hour or so on Friday. I assume regular male host Adrian Chiles was taking what folk in broadcasting call, without a trace of irony, "a well-earned break", because a chap called Dan was squiring Christine Bleakley.

After a cursory news bulletin, in which the public health implications of the "obesity epidemic" were illustrated by footage of a woman with a fat behind walking down a street, they showed a funny clip of two cats playing pat-a-cake, a useful public service for anyone not among the 11,468,922 people who have already viewed the sequence on YouTube. (A quick tip for you: if you like watching funny clips of pussy cats and you wish to avoid breakfast television, there are quite a few on the internet.)

Sofa guests John McCririck, Kate Thornton and money expert Martin Lewis then reviewed the newspapers, by which I mean they read out loud the funnies from the Sun, and the lovable racing pundit revealed he had two cats, one called Burlington and the other Bertie.

A story about a planet consisting entirely of diamonds prompted our hosts to read out texts from viewers nominating substances they wished planets could be made of. What I assume were the most entertaining contributions were one asking for a planet made of shoes, and another from a viewer saying she liked the Marvin Gaye record in which the late soul singer declared the world to be just a great big onion.

Note to Villas-Boas, as he continues to assimilate: none of this was meant ironically.

• Andr� Villas-Boas
• Daybreak
• Television
• Adrian Chiles

Martin Kelner

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/aug/29/andre-villas-boas-chelsea-penalty

Grant Clitsome Braydon Coburn Colby Cohen Carlo Colaiacovo

Bourne Blog: How a golf routine can help your hockey game

No sport emphasizes the need for consistency quite like golf. Anyone who plays the game is plagued by a certain teeth-clenching frustration:

You've hit the exact same shot that you just shanked off your friend's ankle very well at least a few times before. You know you can do it, so why are there times when you just ? don't?

To try to minimize the bad shots, golfers use a pre-shot routine.

For hockey players trying to become more consistent in their own sport, it can help to take a page out of that book. (Before the game, I mean. Doing it during the game might get you hit very, very hard.)

As a guy who (badly) lacked consistency during my days as a player, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I was doing differently before games that was causing me to mysteriously not have any legs one night, then come out like gangbusters the next time out. It was the same problem with my decision-making ? I'd be mentally sharp and play well on a Friday, then on Saturday I'd have three assists ? all to the other team on brutal D-zone turnovers.

The frustration was similar to what I'd felt on the golf course in the past ? when I put it all together, I could be a hell of a player. On nights, my legs and head were filled with solid lead, I could be a waste of a jersey.

To avoid getting benched/cut/actually cut by my coach, something had to change. I needed more discipline.

For years, if I wanted to go to the mall for a bit on gameday, I would. Maybe the next day I'd take a four hour pre-game nap. I basically did whatever I felt like, because, hey ? I ate chicken and pasta, what's the difference?

The "guess and test" method of research helped me find out that consistency would minimize just how bad I could be on "off" days. Apparently when you're playing against guys who are trying to get to that league where they make you rich and well-known, you need to take it sort of seriously.

Veteran guys seemed to have two parts to their pre-game routine, so I tried to mimic that.

The first starts after your game the night before, and is crucial to feeling good physically the next day. (Obviously if you didn't play the night before, just eat well and get to bed at a decent hour and you're done).

You need to hop on a bike and flush those legs out so they aren't dead weight in the morning. Combining that with the cold tub was, for me, the best way to get my legs feeling good the next day. The physical stuff should be easy for players who are in shape.

The second part, the stuff that you actually do on game day, is where you get your head together.

I stopped doing as a pleased during the days (in favor of a walk, a meal, and a nap), and started to turn more attention to how I prepared at the rink.

There, I ordered my to-do list so things got more serious as the game got closer ? it would start with a cup of coffee and tending to my sticks. Then a few minutes of soccer with the guys. Then a nice dynamic stretch. Then the team meeting. Then a few minutes of mentally going over the systems, picturing my role in the offensive zone forecheck, the neutral zone forecheck, and our breakouts.

Then the gear went on, and I was ready to go.

That consistency gave me confidence when I stepped on the ice that I was ready to compete mentally and physically.

Younger players figure that if they're talented, that will take them where they need to be. But there are a lot of talented players ? NHL level talents ? bouncing around the minors playing for coaches who want to strangle them, putting up four points one night, then not being seen for the next three.

Golfers use that pre-shot routine as their "OK, it's go time" trigger, and hockey players can do the same. The best way to find a more consistent on-ice game is to be consistent before it.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Bourne-Blog-How-a-golf-routine-can-help-your-ho?urn=nhl-wp11070

Christian Hanson Martin Hanzal Jake Hauswirth Darren Helm

Would you still take Sidney Crosby in your NHL fantasy draft?

There's an acknowledged insensitivity in discussing Sidney Crosby's status as it pertains to on-ice performance. His health, and the future of his career, are paramount; the Pittsburgh Penguins' power play and the 2011-12 Art Ross race are not.

But the closer we get to training camp, the more focus will be placed on Crosby's effectiveness next season. How much time could he miss? Will he still have the same unparalleled impact on the game? Is there a risk he could be knocked out of action again like so many other players that have rebounded from concussions?

These are the questions Penguins GM Ray Shero is asking himself, as are a large collection of significantly less important general managers: The ones who figure to have a high pick in their 2011-12 fantasy draft.

(Note: Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey is back, but the site's a little buggy right now. Stop by and check out the new features.)

How does one approach drafting someone who is both the best offensive player in the world and a complete question mark for the coming season?

Jim Cerny of About.com, on the Crosby fantasy conundrum back on Aug. 16:

Do you roll the dice that Crosby is, and will remain, healthy, and thus will continue to be the same scoring stud he's been for the past six years? Or do you err on the side of caution and select an Alex Ovechkin or Steven Stamkos or Corey Perry or Martin St. Louis instead?

What if owners are extremely cautious in your league and Crosby is sitting there late in the first round and it's your turn to pick?� Face it, you don't want to be the fantasy owner who by-passed Crosby and then he went out and recorded a 100+ point season.� But you also do not want to be the fantasy owner who picks Sid first or second overall only to have him compromised by issues revolving around the concussion.

That about sums up the debate; now, what to do about Crosby?

We asked two of our most trusted fantasy hockey experts how they'd approach drafting Crosby this season.

Here's Scott Pianowski, editor of the Yahoo! Sports fantasy blog Roto Arcade:

Great question. It's a tricky year. Usually you get the No. 1 pick and it's like found money, you know you've got a sure thing and an easy pick. Not this year.

A healthy Crosby blows everyone away. But I'm glad we're not drafting today because no one knows.

A non-keeper, today, I'd go Daniel Sedin at No. 1. I want floor. I want to sleep at night.�So the order would be:

1. D. Sedin
2. Crosby, and hope
3. Alex Ovechkin, and wonder
4. Steven Stamkos
5. Corey Perry
6. Henrik Sedin
7. Henrik Lundqvist
8. Martin St. Louis

We also asked Dobber, whose site DobberHockey.com is a fantasy leader and who writes a weekly fantasy piece for Puck Daddy during the season: Would you take Crosby first overall?

From Dobber:

Three weeks ago, absolutely. I knew there was a risk, but figured it to be 10 percent that he doesn't start the season. But where there's smoke there's fire ... and there has been a lot of smoke since then.

So to me, and this is just my opinion since I obviously don't know Sid, but that risk is closer to 50 percent that he misses anywhere from one to 20 or 30 games to start the year. I put him at 65 games in my projections, which is still a 100-point season and Top 5 in scoring.

But I don't draft him Top 9 if the draft was today.

In a 12-man league, if my pick is 10th, 11th or 12th, I take him then because I have another pick coming three or four slots later. I do not risk a Top 9 pick because of the gap in the quality level between that pick and the next one. If I draft Sid high like that and he doesn't play 50 games again, I lose the league immediately (as in ? I fail to win, which to me is losing).

Even picking him 10th-12th I likely lose, but at least there's a slim chance ? enough to roll the dice on.

As was previously stated, Crosby was about the surest of sure things when it came to fantasy hockey. That he isn't a stone-cold lock for a No. 1 or No. 2 spot in a draft just reinforces how much uncertainty there is about his return to the game.

We now rejoin concern for the more serious aspects of Sidney Crosby's brain injury, already in progress ?

(Thanks to the boys at the late, great Relentless on The Score Radio for the inspiration.)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Would-you-still-take-Sidney-Crosby-in-your-NHL-f?urn=nhl-wp11216

Matt Lashoff Kyle Lawson Jay Leach Brett Lebda

Texas A&M To SEC: Big 12, Aggies Have Plan To Waive Legal Claims

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/8/29/2392231/texas-a-m-to-sec-rumors-news-updates

Mitch Wahl Ben Walter Tom Wandell Jordan Weal

Vikings Roster Cuts: QB Rhett Bomar Among 10 Players Released

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2011/8/29/2390897/minnesota-vikings-nfl-roster-cuts-rhett-bomar

Jordan Hendry Alex Henry Thomas Hickey Jack Hillen

Sidney Crosby speaks; agent says he?ll play ?when symptom free?

Sidney Crosby's status for the 2011-12 NHL season has tumbled around the rumor mill for the last two weeks; beginning with an XM Home Ice report that he'd miss the start of the season, continuing with a CTV Atlantic report his training had been interrupted with post-concussion symptoms, and continuing with the Pittsburgh Tribune Review calling Crosby's silence on his status "indefensible."

There have even been calls for Crosby to retire for the sake of his health.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Crosby's agent did damage control at every turn, claiming Crosby had battled symptoms but downplaying the dire predictions about missing the start of the season. On Wednesday night, they went on offense with a story on the Penguins' website ? and Sidney Crosby's first public comments on his rehab in weeks.

From the Penguins:

"I appreciate all the support I've received from my family, friends, teammates and fans and from the entire Penguins organization," Crosby said. "I know they only want the best for my health, and for me to be fully ready when I return to game action."

"We always knew this was going to be a progressive recovery ? based on how he felt," said Pat Brisson, Crosby's agent. "With a concussion, there is not a finite recovery period like with a shoulder injury or a knee injury. That's why we've never even set a specific goal for a return date like the start of training camp or Oct. 1 or anything else. He will play when he is symptom free."

The Penguins confirmed in the story that Crosby has visited concussion specialists in Michigan and Georgia, who concluded that he will "make a full recovery." The bad news:

When he got to 90 percent exertion in his workouts, however, he started having some headaches again. At that point, his doctors and trainers altered his workouts accordingly.

This is essentially what the team and Brisson have been preaching for weeks, stopping short from saying the Crosby had been "shut down."

That said, this story needed Crosby to speak, and Crosby needed this declarative, official statement to attempt to clear the air. Yes, there's a chance he'll miss camp or not be ready by October 1. There's also a chance he won't. What's clear is that he has a desire to work through this and return to hockey, which hopefully puts the hyperbolic "hang up the skates Kid" talk to rest.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Sidney-Crosby-speaks-agent-says-he-ll-play-whe?urn=nhl-wp11131

Travis Ehrhardt Christian Ehrhoff Oliver Ekman-Larsson Keaton Ellerby