Roy Nguyen's blog

What do Tiger-Cats dream of when they take a Tiger-Cat snooze?

Starting the 2011 season 0-2, after early predictions had the Hamilton Tiger-Cats ready to contend for the East, is a lot like a "Hangover": You hope your indiscretions of the previous Friday nights are really just bad dreams.

Although it's still too early to hit the panic button, watching the uninspired performance of his team should at least be giving head coach Marcel Bellefeuille some serious bed-spins.  In that case, a collective head shaking may be in order. If you're a beleaguered Tiger-Cats fans, head slapping may be more like it. After scoring a league-low 26 points in their first two outings, can you really blame Pigskin Pete and the rest of Tabbie Nation if they did try to administer their own brand of home-town justice?

The best remedy for an ailing offence is to exploit an equally incompetent defence and in that case, welcome Saskatchewan. The Green Riders have given up a league-high 81 points through two games.

Offensively, this is a talented Tiger-Cats team. But looking good on paper doesn't always get you the results you want. Like having the most expensive ingredients in the kitchen, it doesn't always guarantee a fine tasting soup. Even the most complicated recipes start out with the most basic ingredients and in an offensive huddle, they are called O- linemen.

To suggest that everything "starts up front" is an understatement. If you can't block, protect and display a certain level of nastiness, than you have no business being an offensive lineman. If you can't do it in Steeltown, you have no business wearing the black and yellow. Better to take the back entrance to Ivor Wynne Stadium, than the long walk of shame through the neighborhood on Balsam Ave. After two games, a rut and a well worn path is slowly starting to take shape by the back door.

Giving quarterback Kevin Glenn time to throw the ball, is about giving receivers like Arland Bruce time to run his routes, is about scoring points, is about winning games. The ladder of progression is a simple one in offensive terms. Despite the brutality of the game, every play is like a well choreographed ballet: Receivers, running backs and quarterback all working in harmony with timing and precision.

The job of a defence is simple: Disrupt, in whatever way you can, that harmony and precision. When a defensive back roughs up a receiver within the first five yards of scrimmage, it's about throwing him off his intended path, compromising his route and disrupting his timing to get to the spot his quarterback is expecting him to be. When defensive lineman run loops and stunts or linebackers and defensive backs blitz, it's about confusing the O-line, sending one more person than can be blocked or creating a path to the quarterback in quicker fashion, forcing him to scramble or throw the ball earlier than he wants.

That, in a nutshell, is what good defences do and what the Tiger-Cats have been unable to adjust to. There is no point in talking about the deep threat of Bruce, the explosiveness of Avon Cobourne or the sure hands of Dave Stala, if you can't address those issues first. For teams unable to make things up on the fly, deviate from the script and engage in a little "sandlot football" from time to time, what you get is an anemic offense.

Having the "fat, clumsy guys" up front start the ballet doesn't necessarily reflect the grace and fine lines but it remains the most essential ingredient to any successful offensive play. To suggest that the Ticats misfortunes should be heaped on the broad shoulders of the big guys up front may not be all that fair ? given that receivers running sloppy routes, quarterbacks not getting the ball out on time and running backs not picking up their blocks ? have all been complicit in Hamilton's offensive woes.

For an O-lineman, wearing that mantle of responsibility, sits just fine.  After all, they have big shoulders to carry the criticism and when it comes to sacrificing life and limb for the good of the team, hearts to match as well.

In the end it's the entire Tiger-Cats team that needs to perform and if an 0-2 start isn't providing sober enough reality, than perhaps a Roughriders team that pushes them to 0-3 will. In that case, better to feel the effects of a Roughriders beating and the ensuing "Hangover" than the hometown justice of the Hamilton faithful. Where one can be alleviated with simple aspirin, the other requires a disguise.

Sandy Annunziata enjoyed an 11-year CFL career that culminated in back-to-back Grey Cup championships in 2004 and 2005. The former CFL All-Star will be writing for the 55-Yard Line on the league and everything Canadian about it. No stranger to covering the CFL before joining Yahoo! Sports Canada as an analyst for the Fan590 and Rogers Sportsnet, the former offensive lineman will take you beyond the field and inside the locker room as he examines the game, the health of the league, the business of sport and the sometimes fragile psyche of pro football players.

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Video analysis: Iole on possibility of UFC to HBO with Greenburg gone

It's finally official. Ross Greenburg, a 33-year of employee of HBO is out as president of HBO Sports. The rumors have been swirling for most of 2011 and Greenburg decided to resign rather than get forced out.

Back in 2007, UFC worked with HBO and Greenburg on a possible deal, so that has some thinking the MMA promotion may be interested again in trying to secure an agreement for the future.

Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer joined Cagewriter to talk about the future of HBO Sports and why a deal between the UFC and the pay cable network is pretty unlikely.

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Deron Williams? Turkish club has its assets frozen

As we've stated several times in this space, the biggest story of the NBA lockout so far, apart from its existence, has been Deron Williams' decision to sign with the Turkish club Besiktas should the NBA cancel some games next season. It was a bold move, and one that could convince other stars to follow suit.

While playing overseas has seemed like an intelligent option for some players during the lockout, the option is mysterious enough that we're still learning things about what playing in Europe entails. For Williams, things got a lot more complicated in a matter of a few days. Because he signed with a club that just had its assets frozen, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. Daren Butler has more details for Reuters.com (via EOB):

A Turkish court jailed the coach and deputy chairman of Istanbul club Besiktas pending trial on Wednesday in a match-fixing investigation which has overshadowed preparations for the new soccer season, media reports said.

The Istanbul court has already jailed 26 people including the chairman of champions Fenerbahce, who feature highly in the probe, and the latest ruling targeted a second of the city's "Big Three" clubs which dominate Turkish football.

However, Turkey's soccer federation has said it will not launch its own investigation until the indictment is prepared, effectively confirming Fenerbahce as champions who can take their place in the lucrative Champions League next season.

This particular scandal applies to the soccer club Besiktas, but, as with most sporting teams in Europe, the same organization overseas both its soccer and basketball teams. So while the basketball team may not have fixed games, it will receive indirect punishment just by virtue of being associated with the soccer team.

It's a bummer for Williams, who may now not be able to play in Turkey, unless he wants to be paid in coffee and baklava. In a broader sense, though, this incident helps underscore the fact that any American player who decides to do a sabbatical in Europe is entering a world he doesn't quite understand. The on-court differences are somewhat clear, but the basketball cultures, including what goes on behind the scenes, are much different. What at first glance may seem like a fun way to spend a year could be an uncomfortable and confusing situation.

Perhaps this scandal will end Deron's Turkish sojourn before it starts. If he does end up making the trip, he's sure to run into some more uncomfortable moments like this one. Culture shock is a fact of a move like this one.

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TMZ rant lands Marc Tyler on suspension at USC

Marc Tyler finally forced USC's hand.

The senior running back will miss USC's season opener after making inappropriate comments to TMZ about, well, a variety of things and none of them good or flattering toward USC.

When asked why USC has so many running backs, Tyler responded:

"Cause we're RBU, that's how we get down. We all win our Heismans, we all gonna ball, and we all get in Kim Kardashian."

Tyler, who appeared severely intoxicated and whose friends tried to block him from the cameras by telling him he'd get in trouble for talking to TMZ, didn't stop there. He also said USC pays its players.

The TMZ cameraman asked if USC players were getting paid more at USC or if they were in the pros and Tyler responded: "USC. They breaking bread."

Even TMZ considered Tyler's comments to be a joke -- Tyler's dad came out and said his son is not getting paid by USC -- but for a program that's already on probation for giving improper benefits to one of its star players -- a running back, no less -- coach Lane Kiffin didn't see the humor.

"I was very disappointed when I learned of Marc Tyler's inappropriate comments that were captured by the media last week," Kiffin said in a statement. "That is not the way that we expect our players to represent USC and our team.

"Although Marc may find this punishment severe, it is imperative we continue to have a high standard for player behavior. Marc needs to work hard to show us that he can meet the standards of being a USC football player."

Tyler's punishment came after spending the past few months waiting for the school to hand down disciplinary action stemming from two alcohol-related incidents in April.

Because of this latest incident, Tyler's discipline could go from a couple educational classes to something far more serious, including suspension or expulsion. That discipline will come down form USC's Office of Student Judicial Affairs.

But USC athletic director Pat Haden was pretty clear on where he stands in a statement issued by the school.

"We have very high expectations for all of our student-athletes at USC. While the vast majority of our student-athletes act appropriately, Marc did not and stepped way out of line. He did not represent himself, his university or his team the way we expect. Marc has a lot to do to prove he belongs on our team. We hope Marc learns from this and comes back a changed and better person."

Tyler, who has released more statements this summer than any other college football player, once again apologized for his behavior and how it affected the university.

"I want to apologize for embarrassing USC, my teammates and coaches. I am disappointed that I let down all the people who have supported me as I have been working through some personal issues. After meeting today with Mr. Haden and Coach Kiffin, I realize how my behavior and my statements, even though I was joking, can reflect poorly on so many people. As a veteran player, I should know that my job is to be an example for the younger guys. I accept my punishment, and I regret that I will miss the opening game of my senior year. I am committed to doing everything the right way so that I can be reinstated to the team."

This was definitely an ugly incident for a program that needs to distance itself from any type of controversy. Tyler needs to learn how to control his booze or at the very least, keep out of possible compromising situations when drinking.

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What?s written on Andy Murray?s Wimbledon bag?

They're clearly not tips on facial hair grooming or love notes to Feliciano Lopez, so what is it that's written all over Andy Murray's tennis bag at Wimbledon?

As part of a social media campaign with Head, Murray's bag at Wimbledon has been emblazoned with inspirational notes sent in by fans on Facebook. An example: "Andy, you are a true champion! This is your year! We believe in you!"

The bag will be given away to one of Murray's Facebook followers after the tournament. Even if he wins the whole thing? Wouldn't The British Museum want to put that in a display if that happens?

That's a moot point now, as Murray lost to Rafael Nadal in their Wimbledon semifinal. As our friends at The Slice pointed out earlier on Twitter, Murray should hope somebody inscribed a note from a fan that included tips on how to get a ball past the speedy Nadal.

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WWE Money in the Bank 2011: Was This the Most Internet-Friendly Show Ever?

The 2011 edition of WWE's Money in the Bank pay-per-view is in the books, and fans across the country continue to celebrate what was one of the greatest events Vince McMahon's company has ever put together. Far exceeding Wrestlemania XXVII, this year's Money in the Bank had a little bit of everything for each section of pro wrestling fans. There were high spots, brutal use of weapons, solid technical wrestling (in a match involving John Cena, imagine that), and near flawless booking throughout.

More than anything, Money in the Bank was the first event in a very long time, maybe since Wrestlemania XX back in 2004, where WWE seemed to be tipping its hat to the smart mark, internet fan base.

At Wrestlemania XX, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero left as world champions and Chris Jericho, Christian, and Trish Stratus nearly stole the show. At Money in the Bank, a handful of the internet's favorite performers were featured, adding to the legacy of what will undoubtedly be remembered as a fine example of a near-perfect professional wrestling show.

The Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match started the show off perfectly, mixing and matching high spots and smart, psychology-filled work with the all-important ladders. As many figured, Sin Cara, Heath Slater, and Justin Gabriel were responsible for many of the high spots, while stars such as Sheamus, Wade Barrett, and Daniel Bryan held the match together.

Prior to the contest, no one expected Daniel Bryan to capture the briefcase and earn a future shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. But WWE, apparently finally acknowledging their large and vocal internet fanbase, awarded Bryan the opportunity of a lifetime.

It remains to be seen what will come from this, but it was a major step towards WWE giving the ball to someone fans respect and have been clamoring to see succeed, as opposed to a Superstar that has been shoved down their collective throats.

The Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match featured another internet favorite, Alberto Del Rio, who reached the briefcase and secured an almost-guaranteed WWE Championship reign. The match, like the Smackdown match, was extremely well-booked and featured a number of high spots that repeatedly popped the crowd, an essential part of these types of ladder matches.

Christian left the World Heavyweight Champion, something the internet fans have been clamoring for since April, when he originally lost the title. Some will complain about the manner in which he won the gold for the second time, but remember: Christian is the heel.

Since turning heel, Christian has been booked as a cowardly heel that continuously needed rematches in order to keep his title aspirations alive. He cried controversy and screwjob when he lost. Winning the title the way he did was brilliant booking that played to the booking of the storyline thus far and will only help to get Christian over further as a main event heel.

Finally, the main event caused the internet to break, almost literally. Hundreds of wrestling websites were downed by the intense traffic CM Punk's WWE Championship victory caused.

Casual and die-hard fans alike took to the internet to find the latest news, read the numerous reviews, and voice their opinions on what many are considering a Match of the Year candidate. CM Punk, in the last month, has generated a new interest in the product, and his win at Money in the Bank was one that smart marks could celebrate and casual fans found intriguing and may very well tune in weekly to follow the story.

Money in the Bank was, at the very least, one of the most internet-friendly events in recent history. Daniel Bryan, Alberto Del Rio, Christian, and CM Punk--four of the most popular Superstars across the web--were all put in the spotlight, while typically-pushed stars such as Cena, Miz, and Big Show were sent to the background for one night. The result was a pay-per-view that has a tremendous amount of hype and acclaim coming out of it.

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Argonauts pull ad campaign?was it the right move?

The Toronto Argonauts have found themselves at the centre of some controversy thanks to an ad campaign running in Toronto subway cars. The posters, seen at right, feature defensive end Ricky Foley looking tough and the message "Home Is Where The Heart Is. It's Also Where We Hurt People," as well as ticket information for the team's July 23 home opener and other games.

That message spawned some negative reactions; the Toronto Transit Commission received at least five complaints about it, it's drawn criticism on Facebook, Toronto city councillor Mike Layton (son of federal NDP and Official Opposition leader Jack Layton) wrote a letter to Argonauts' president Bob Nicholson blasting the campaign, and the team eventually decided to pull their ads. Here's what Mike Layton had to say about why he was concerned:

"While I understand the intended meaning, my concern is the unintended consequences," Layton wrote. "In the context of domestic violence, the ad insinuates that domestic violence in the home is acceptable or normal. The ad may also trigger traumatic responses in the many survivors of domestic violence who are courageously moving forward with their lives."

Argonauts' vice-president of marketing and communications David Bedford told The National Post's Mark Masters the team didn't consider the posters in that context, but perhaps they should have.

"I think it's pretty common knowledge that football is a contact sport and a physical game," Bedford said. "We didn't look at it in the context of domestic violence and we probably should have, given that we've had a handful of complaints."

However, even pulling the posters has caused controversy. The National Post's Joe O'Connor blasted Layton's criticisms as an example of overly-enthusiastic political correctness:

How that particular football ? hurt ? could possibly "insinuate", as Toronto city councilor Mike (son of Jack) Layton wrote in a letter of complaint to Argos president, Bob Nicholson, "that domestic violence in the home is acceptable or normal" and "the ad may also trigger traumatic responses in many survivors of domestic violence who are courageously moving forward with their lives," is, well, let me see here: crazy talk.

Politically correct crazy talk uttered by a politician who has received a handful of complaints from a handful of concerned citizen-busybodies who clearly missed the intended message. Or else, they did not miss it, and simply chose to ignore it and label the poster as some unholy, domestic-violence-promoting demon instead.

You know, because that is what our modern day puritans do: they go looking for the beast with the horns, the pitchfork and the tail. And they invariably find that he is everywhere.

O'Connor's got a bit of a point; the Argonauts certainly weren't trying to promote domestic violence, and the ad doesn't necessarily suggest it to many people. I doubt most people are going to come away from that ad with the message that "domestic violence in the home is acceptable or normal". However, that doesn't make it a good ad campaign, and Layton's second criticism, "the ad may also trigger traumatic responses in many survivors of domestic violence who are courageously moving forward with their lives," seems to carry more weight.

Display advertising in particular is often about quick impressions rather than gaining the whole context of an advertisement, and displaying "Home Is Where The Hurt Is" in big letters certainly would appear to have the potential to bring back awful memories for some domestic violence survivors. It's not like the Argonauts needed to use that specific marketing line; there are plenty of other taglines they could have gone with that wouldn't have hurt or offended anyone, so blaming "political correctness" seems a bit over the top.

It's worth noting that even the straight football interpretation of the ad campaign isn't all that great. It's implying that the Argonauts play specifically to hurt their opponents, and while some fans might like the idea of that, it's worth noting that leagues have cracked down on that kind of language in the past. In particular, NFL linebacker James Harrison got in trouble last year over comments that he's out to hurt opponents, and deservedly so. Playing to hurt people has drawn criticism from outspoken Argonauts like Adriano Belli in the past, so it's curious that the team's aligning themselves with that mentality.

Sure, football is a physical game, and violence is often used to sell it; big hits (like Jamall Johnson's on Buck Pierce) get attention, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that. There's a difference between hitting somebody and hurting somebody, though, and the latter is troubling in the context of all the frightening information out there on concussions and leagues' attempts to reduce and deal with them. There are plenty of ways the Argonauts can sell their product without promoting hurting people, on or off the field. In fact, some of the best efforts they've done in the past have come through community engagement, whether that's through revitalizing high school football or running anti-bullying campaigns through Stop The Violence; that presents a much more positive message than ads testifying their willingness to hurt people. From this corner, it's a good thing they pulled this campaign; let's hope they can come out with a better one next time around.

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McIlroy turns back on Nadal, is rooting for Murray at Wimbledon

The bromance between Rory McIlroy and Rafael Nadal had the longevity you'd expect from any celebrity coupling.

One week after Rafa sent McIlroy a pep-talk text message on the morning of the young golfer's U.S. Open win and later spoke about how McIlroy was an inspiration to him, McIlroy returned the favor by saying he'd be rooting against Nadal in a potential Wimbledon semifinal match against Andy Murray. Judas!

"I would love to see Andy win his first Grand Slam. I can relate to him on how much pressure there must be on him from ­everyone. He's come close before to ­winning three times. So it would be great to see him do it. [...] To win his first one would be great for British tennis and ­British sport in general."

No love for Nadal, his so-called "friend" and fellow major champion?

"It would be great if Rafa won but I would ­really like Andy to get his first slam at ­Wimbledon this year."

I can see his point. Nadal has 10 Grand Slams and two Wimbledons, while Murray has none and carries the weight of the United Kingdom on his shoulders. It's only natural that the golfer from Northern Ireland would side with the pressured tennis player from Scotland. McIlroy is going with the hometown pick and that's fine. It's not like he's doing so while disparaging Rafa.

"Nadal was one of the first ­people to get in touch after I won the U.S. Open. He texted me a 'well done.' His text messages make me laugh because they are just like the way he speaks. They are in broken ­English which is quite funny."

Oh, he went there. He went right there. Well you know what else is funny, Rory? This.

McIlroy also met John McEnroe during his visit to Wimbledon and then presumably told him he always liked Bjorn Borg better and that Debbie Harry could have sung a better vocal on "Goodbye to You" than Patty Smyth.

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NFL Free Agency: 5 Most Rewarded Risks of Injury-Prone Players

With free agency hopefully set to begin within the next week, now is a good time to take a look back at some of the biggest risk-reward signings of all-time.

Players get injured all of the time in the NFL, but very few injury plagued players have moved onto a new team with much success. 

Some teams have been handsomely rewarded by taking a risk on an injury plagued player during free agency and teams will have the chance to do so this season with guys like Sidney Rice and DeAngelo Williams on the market.

Here is a look at five of the most rewarded risks when it comes to injury plagued players in the NFL.

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Paid $5,000 to box, Canseco pulls a fast one and sends twin brother

Most folks around baseball think Jose Canseco is shady. He's starting to develop the same reputation in the fight world.

The former MLB star was paid $5,000 before a celebrity boxing match in Florida, no-showed and then sent his twin brother Ozzie to fill-in.

Canseco was caught because of some strange texts to the promoter and some observant fans, who noticed Ozzie didn't have tattooed arms like Jose.

"A bait-and-switch,'' promoter Damon Feldman told the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. "I'm disgusted."

The first signs of a problem emerged Thursday night on Jose's Twitter account.

At the event, Feldman grew suspicious when Ozzie kept asking for the rest of his pay before the fight.

"The guy I thought was Jose kept asking me to pay him in cash before [the fight],'' Feldman said. "I told him I had to pay him by check for business reasons. He said he needed cash. We went back and forth."

There was also a strange text that should've been the giveaway.

[...] Jose Canseco's phone that read: "You have to pay him."

"I was confused by why he wrote 'him,' '' Feldman said. "Who would've thought he would've sent someone else?"

On fight night at Passion Night Club in the Seminole Hard Rock in Florida, the music for Jose's entrance played and no one walked to the ring. It played again and out came Ozzie, several onlookers immediately pointed out that the fill-in didn't have Jose's tattoos.

The crowd was in an uproar and Ozzie was escorted from the club by police.

Jose has responded via text saying he'll make it up to Feldman in the future.

"If you pay my brother the $5,000 I will fight for you again and handle all the media that is calling me and make you look good. If not, well, you're on your own."

Jose fought for Feldman on two previous occasions against former NFL player Vai Sikahema and Danny Bonaduce.

Update: Canseco tweeted that all the money will go to charity.

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