(Get) A Sporting Life

From the BBC: Notts Co to revive youth scheme Notts County have revealed plans to rejuvenate their Centre of Excellence and youth programme. It closed in May 2006 as a cost-cutting measure but now chairman John Armstrong-Holmes wants to re-open it. He told the club website: "In the past couple of years we have seen significant financial benefit. But over the next few years we will miss out." A proposal to relaunch the centre at the start of next season will go before the board of directors on Friday. Chief executive Geoff Davey explained: "The proposal is indicative of the progress we have made in getting our finances back into shape. "It's very good news that the club is strong enough to make such an undertaking." There is no way you can run a succesful club without a vibrant youth program. This is really the first time I'd heard good news about the Magpies finances in awhile. Baby steps.

For all the bitching from Blues fans about the howlingly bad play from Brewer the last three weeks or so (here is a good example ), you might have figured that his was the worst blueline performance. You'd be wrong. By every measure Barret Jackman's play has been terrible. Jackman: GP G A Pts +/- PIM PP SHG GWG S SPct. 30-0-3-3-(-13)- -29 -0-- 0-- 0--- 32 -0.00 Brewer: GP G A Pts +/- PIM PP SHG GWG S SPct. 25 -1- 6- 7 -(-5)- 27-- 0--0 ---0-- 36- 2.78 Yet, for some reason, Jackman mostly gets a pass from Blues fans. I don't get it. Brewer's upside is so much greater than our other defensemen (with the exception of Johnson), that it makes no sense to attempt to run him out of town. Brewer was terrific the last 30+ games of last season, and he didn't start badly this one either. True, he has been an outright liability out there for awhile, and I certainly hope he gets some confidence back and quickly. But, to my mind, it is Jackman that has been the biggest disappointm...

I don't know that there is much to say about the Edmonds trade since we won't know if it's turned out well until we see how the younger guys produce in CF and where the freed up $$ ultimately ends up. Personally, given what there is in the free agent market, I hope they don't make a signing for signing's sake. I'd rather write off 2008 and use it for 2009. Or, in the miraculous case we are in contention come late July, look to make a deal for someone we would normally say we can't afford and use the money towards their existing contract or locking up an extension before they hit the free agent market. UPDATE: lboros has a post up on Viva El Birdos about what to do with the money. His first option of starting pitching is obvious but the names mentioned (colon, jennings, freddy garcia, john lieber, matt clement, rodrigo lopez, mark prior, and kris benson) make me cringe. I still can't believe any pair of them for $10-15 million makes us contenders. His se...

No, this is not a post about the Cards trading Edmonds (although that one should be coming soon enough.) I've not said too much about the St. Louis University Billikens in the early part of the season. There are two reasons I've been mostly quiet: 1) I've been real busy in my real world activities, and 2) I knew from the start that the Bills were going to be a mixed bag this season, so why hang on every missed shot? Don't get me wrong, I still hope they will do well, but the transition to an entirely new scheme under Rick Majerus is going to take time. So far this season the Bills look like a team that is still trying to figure out what they are supposed to be doing. The best case scenario is that they work enough out in the non-conference part of their schedule to scare some folks in the A-10 during the new year. Maybe there are some signs that that is exactly what is happening. The Billikens picked up a big win over Southern Illinois last night, and showed some grit d...

I thought when the Blues finally made a move this season it would be shipping off one of the extra defensemen for some offensive help. Swapping out a 35 year old center in Doug Weight for a 30 year old center in Andy McDonald simply was not what I was expecting. We also sent minor leaguer Michal Birner and a low rent draft pick to Anaheim as well. Weight was a good member of the Blues, and showed his loyalty to the organization by waiving his no trade clause. This deal looks to make the Blues better. Weight wasn't really clicking with any of the forwards we have nowadays, although he picked up some points of late. Weight certainly should be able to help a talented team like the Ducks, so it isn't as if the Blues fleeced anybody. Still....this is a really good move for the Note. McDonald may not be the flashiest player out there, but he is a proven goal scorer as well as a set up man. If I remember correctly, he plays a strong two-way game as well, so he should fit right into th...

Today's NYT's Headline: Selig Says Report ‘Is a Call to Action’ and Vows to Act Swiftly TRANSLATION:My head will be in the sand with such speed, I'll become a god in the ostrich community. It's been refreshing to read and listen to a large percentage of Mitchell Report punditry that feels little can be done and it is only the beginning of any potential change. There are few things more annoying than commentators who should know better, taking to the microphones to pontificate on the latest event, be it a player's death, arrest, drug OD, or whatever and proclaim it a turning point that will alter human behavior for all eternity. While I wish it were otherwise and I hope that the Players Union gets the kick in the balls it deserves over this one, I'm not holding my breath that the Mitchell Report does anything more than provide the slimmest of openings for meaningful change. Let's face it, the track and field and cycling federations haven't been able to ...

Alright. I read the whole summary and the section where the players implicated by Kirk Radomski are enumerated. Here is my take: I think Sen. Mitchell should be commended for doing such an even handed job in the report. It seems clear he collected a preponderance of evidence before releasing any names, and gave all of the accused a chance to tell their side of the story...if they had one. It also becomes clear that the players from the start have been stonewalling, and not just in the sense of trying to keep illegal activities from coming to light. The players or, maybe more accurately, the Players Association have attempted to obfuscate and wrongdoing to the point that they no longer care of the integrity of the game is at stake. For example: Of the 500 former players the Mitchell investigation attempted to interview, only 68 agreed to do so. That is 13.6%. The Players Association refused to supply any documentation on any matter whatsoever. They refused to make chief operating office...