Professional athletes are often accused of having too many or too nice of cars.  However, amid all that chrome, there is a car that is perfect for every person out there, a car that has the same traits and personality as you.....

Alexander Ovechkin   -    Dodge Nitro

New kids on the block, re-energized once proud organizations that have faltered in recent years.

Alex Rodriguez    -   Maybach 57s

Massively powerful, luxury items, but does anyone really need them?

Jerry Sloan   -   Toyota Corolla

Always there, always productive, largely ignored.

Brian Urlacher   -   Toyota Tundra

Rock solid beasts, belonging to rising organizations.

Devin Hester   -   Bugatti Veyron

Lightning-fast, barely street legal.

Ron Artest  -   Ford Freestar

Useless assets that just don't fit anywhere.

Peyton Manning   -   Kia Automotive

It's their time.

This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending...................now.

In the second induction ever held for the Babe Magnet Hall of Fame, one man was honoured with one of the greatest honours an athlete can receive.   Although I regret that the "nominees" post was never updated to include pictures and bios of the nominees, several judges cast their votes anyways and for that I am grateful.

The decision was clear.  The only athlete of the distinguished nominees (Andre Agassi, David Ortiz, Michael Schumacher, Damon Allen, Justin Morneau) that deserved to be inducted was Agassi.

All who voted, voiced "yes!" for Agassi to be inducted into the Hall.   As you probably know, being the astute sports fan that you are, Agassi recently played the final tournament of his professional tennis career at the US Open.  The eight-time major winner bowed out in the third round to unheralded Benjamin Becker, after toppling Marcos Baghdatis to reach that point.  The irony was that the match versus Becker was supposed to be his easiest.  Becker was a qualifier and the first two matches were against much tougher opponents.  However Agassi was fighting an extremely sore back.   His final tournament showed us the final piece of what has been: a great tennis career, the evolution of the rebel into the humanitarian, and the final farewell of one of the greatest players and men that the game of tennis has ever seen.

A worthy inductee, Agassi takes his place beside Tiger Woods as the only athletes to have ever received this honour.  Congratulations.

This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending..........now.

In the sophomore month of the Babe Magnet Hall of Fame (BMHOF), five more deserving candidates will be nominated, with your votes deciding who gets in and who does not.  If you didn't catch the inaugural induction (Aug. 06), simply view the list of nominees below, then vote "yes" or "no" for each one in the comments section.  To gain induction, the athlete must receive at least 75 % support from the judges.  Simple as that.  If you're interested, check out the August nominees here or the induction ceremony here.

The only athlete to gain the honour from last month was Tiger Woods, who, after his induction, has gone on a complete tear, winning every event that he entered after induction.  Perhaps this will become a sort of reverse-SI cover jinx.

Moving onto this month's nominees.........

Actually I'm pressed for time, so this post is a temporary stay over.  Hopefully soon, I will update it, with bios and pictures of the nominees.  However, I'm sure that you all (being avid sports fans) know their stories and faces.  Thank you for voting, the inductions could not happen without you.

Here are the nominees for September 2006:

1.  Andre Agassi - ATP Tour retiree

2.  Damon Allen - Toronto Argonauts QB (CFL)

3.  Justin Morneau - Minnesota Twins 1B (MLB)

4.  David Ortiz - Boston Red Sox DH (MLB)

5.  Michael Schumacher - Formula 1 driver

Again, thanks for voting, hopefully a better version of this will follow in the next few days.

This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending......now.

The Yankees 2-1 victory over the arch enemy, the Boston Red Sox, on Monday, August 21, capped an amazing five game stretch which saw the Bronx Bombers embarrass, exhaust and eliminate their hated rivals from New England.  The five game series at Fenway Park in Boston was supposed to set the tone for which of the teams would take control in the AL East.

The Yankees answered the bell, winning the first four games, including both ends of a doubleheader, handily.  This included a stretch, over the first three games of the series, in which the Yankees scored 12 runs in each game.  This was the first time in the long and distinguished history of the Red Sox that they had allowed 12 runs in three consecutive games to the same team.

The fifth game, Monday afternoon in dowtown Boston, saw the first real low-scoring affair of the five game set.  Entrenched in a battle between two pitchers looking to get back to form, the teams carried a scoreless draw into the sixth inning, where a Bobby Abreu double to the base of the Green Monster scored Melky Cabrera from second base.   The Bombers scored again in the top of the eigth inning after Nick Green doubled, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch from Boston reliever Keith Foulke. 

Foulke, in only his second start since being activated from the Disabled List, took over from Boston starter David Wells.  Boomer was extremely reluctant to leave the game, after going seven strong and allowing only one run.  He was pulled in the eigth, in favour of Foulke, who promptly allowed the insurance run, and ultimately the winning run.

Yankees starter Cory Lidle went six innings, allowing only three hits and no runs.  He turned things over to the bullpen for the seventh inning, and they pretty much shut the door from there on, the one hiccup being the solo home run the Scott Proctor allowed to Willy Mo Pena in the bottom of the eigth inning.  It was Pena's tenth jack of the season, but it was too little too late, as the Yankees bullpen shut things down from there, preserving the win for Lidle (2-2), and handing the hard-luck loss to Boomer Wells (2-3).  Kyle Farnsworth got his second save of the season.

So, to sum up, a series that had promising premonitions for the Red Sox, turned into an absolute disaster from the men from Beantown.  The Red Sox entered the set at Fenway only 1 1/2 games out of first in the AL East, and end off the series 6 1/2 games out.  The Yankees celebrated almost as if they had clinched a playoff spot, which they essentially have now.

Things are looking dark as well for the Toronto Blue Jays.  While trying to catch the Yankees, the Blue Jays faltered against the Baltimore Orioles and lost ground, and they now sit 9 1/2 games out of the East lead, and are 7 1/2 games back of the Wild Card leading Chicago White Sox.

All in all, a dark weekend in Boston, as well as north of the border.

This session of the Ultimate Canadian Bloggin Experience is ending.........now.

Just to vent whatever comes to mind in the world of sports.

-Tiger Woods sits 1 stroke back after the first two rounds of the PGA Championship, along with playing partner Geoff Ogilvy.  Lefty Phil is 4 strokes back at -4.

-How big is the 5-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox this weekend at Fenway Park?  Pretty big actually, with the Yankees up by 1 1/2 games on the Sox, the standings could swing either way.

-The Red Sox's new pickup, Eric Hinske looked impressive in his Boston debut (3 for 3, 3 doubles, when I stopped watching), and he took a home run away from Jorge Posada.

-With the acquistion of Bobby Abreu, and the return of long-contract signees Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, where does young stud Melky Cabrera fit into the mix.  One would have to think that the Yankees would want to keep him, for when the aging Matsui expires.

-Did you know that recent Patriots acquisition Martin Gramatica has size 6 feet.   Size 6!!  Nothing like having a grade schooler kicking your field goals.

-Subsequently, did you know that Shaquille O'Neal has size 22 feet?

-Now that the Colts have Adam Vinatieri, its time for them to become a dynasty.  Despite the loss of Edgerrin James, look for 3 Super Bowls in the next four years for the men from Indy (probably by 3 points each).

-Staying with that thought, I still believe that Adam Vinatieri, not Tom Brady or Deion Branch should have been Super Bowl MVP, where would they have been without him?

-Roger Federer actually lost in the ATP Masters event in Cincinnati, in the second round, ending his streak of 17 straight finals appearances, one short of Ivan Lendl's tour record.

-The Olympic Games need a makeover.  Out with synchronized swimming, equestrian, and gymnastics.   In with extreme mountain biking, golf  and American football.   The aforementioned "out" sports, really aren't sports at all, which means that they should not be in the greatest athletic competition known to mankind.

This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending.......now.

In the wake of one of my posts in which I commented on how much Red Sox DH David Ortiz resembled rapper 50 Cent, I decided to expose their likeness with a side by side photo post, as well as throw in a few other athlete/celebrity twins.  Hopefully they'll shock and inspire you.

First off, the one I was talking about before, Red Sox DH David Ortiz (left) and rap icon Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson (right).

Second, former Stars D-Man Philippe Boucher (is he still in the NHL?)(left) and actor Charlie Sheen (right).

Thirdly, Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade (left) and fellow athlete, Peter Worrell (right).  Ok maybe a bit of a stretch.

Fourth,  Terrell Owens' agent Drew Rosenhaus (left) and Mission Impossible actor Tom Cruise (right).  Their other connection is that dealing with T.O. is  Mission Impossible.

Finally, NY Knicks GM Isiah Thomas (left) and singer Marilyn Manson (right).  They may not look alike but they're both completely insane and butcher things (whether it be lineups or people, that is up to you to figure out).

Hope you enjoyed this....it actually took me quite a while.

This session of the Ultimate Canadian Blogging Experience is ending......now.

Just to vent whatever comes to mind in the world of sports:

-Is it even possible for the Jays to reach the postseason?  With the Yankees, Red Sox, Twins and White Sox ahead of them, the task seems almost impossible.  Even now, the team is relying mostly on Roy Halladay, who became the major's first 15-game winner by beating Tampa on Tues night.

-It's really anybody's guess as to what TD celebration kings like T.O. and Chad Johnson will do with the new restricting rules.  Will we see any suspensions if the rules are violated to badly?

-Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, off the tee tomorrow, 9:30 am, should be a great PGA Championship.

-Barry Bonds continues to struggle, his average still below .250.  One has to wonder whether any teams will even go after his services in the offseason.  The 43-year old has knee and hip problems and his defense is declining with age, as is his hitting.

-When Todd Bertuzzi plays the Canucks again for the first time, will he break Markus Naslund's neck?

-I'm betting on T.O. to flounder in his return to Philadelphia.  Owens will maybe be released by midseason, depending on how his relationship evolves with Bill Parcells.

-Roger Federer just won the Rogers Cup in my native country of Canada.  I believe the Swiss-man deserves consideration for the best player of all time.  He may not have 2 single season grand slams like Rod Laver, but if he continues to dominate the sport the way that he has been, perhaps he'll take a run at Pete Sampras' career mark of 17 majors.

-Reed Johnson's average has dropped for unbelieveable to awesome, however he should still be MVP (see avatar).

-Is it just me or does David Ortiz look exactly like 50 Cent?

The month of October is synonymous with the playoffs of the MLB.  At a time where the NFL, NBA and NHL are starting up, or thinking about starting up operations for the year, baseball's best take centre stage.  Some flourish in the spotlight (Reggie Jackson, Scott Brosius) and some crumble under the immense pressure (cough, Bill Buckner).  This year I think we will get to see whether the Bluebirds stars rise up or fall flat on their faces, as the Jays are poised for a run at the AL East title.

As we speak, the Jays sit just 2 games back of the Yankees and are just 5 games out of the AL East lead, currently held by the Boston Red Sox.  For the moment the Jays have a better chance at their division than at the wild card, as both the Tigers and White Sox are playing near .650 baseball. 

With all the big names on their lineup card, the Jays are a hard team to ignore down the stretch.   In the outfield, Alex Rios should be returning from injury soon and he hasbecome an incredibly dangerous power hitter.  Vernon Wells, the multiple Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner, has 21 HRs and 66 RBIs this year.  The outfield is bolstered by consistent Frank Catalanotto, Eric Hinske and, my boy, Reed Johnson (see my REED JOHNSON FOR MVP blog).  The infield is also strong with Troy Glaus at third base (23 HRs, 60 RBIs), Lyle Overbay at first (14, 50) and other talented players including Shea Hillenbrand, Russ Adams, Aaron Hill and defensive specialist John MacDonald.   Behind the plate, Bengie Molina won't win any races, but he can throw through a brick wall.  He's backed up by a very capable Gregg Zaun.

The pitching staff for the Jays is also quite solid.  Roy Halladay is an ace, one of the premier pitchers in the league.  A.J. Burnett has been satisfactory since coming off the DL, but he will pick up his play as the season rolls along.  The return of Gustavo Chacin will bolster the rotation (and no doubt make them smell better).  The remainder of the rotation is filled out with pitchers capable of winning on any given night (Ted Lilly, Ty Taubenheim, Casey Janssen).  The bullpen runs deep, leading up to lights-out closer BJ Ryan, who has been well worth his $10 000 000 price tag.

With all this talent, its hard to ignore the fact that the Blue Jays have the opportunity to make a serious run at the AL East (maybe the World Series?!?!?).  With half the Yankee team in the infirmary and the number growing, its only a matter of time before the now-bending board snaps in half.  Experience can only take you so far.   If the Red Sox had a key injury at a key point in the season to, say, David Ortiz (he's the only reason they're winning the division anyways), the opening will be there, the Jays just have the catch the moment and run with it.  And once they're running, who knows what could happen??

Are you laughing???  If yes, then stop.  Reed Johnson in my mind should be the MVP of MLB.  The 29-year old Blue Jays leftfielder has strong numbers at a small price.  His average is .374, which tops every player in the major leagues, except some guy named Mauer.  What??  He's not on the list of AL batting average leaders??  Well, ladies and gentlemen, John Gibbons and his stupid smirk haven't slotted Johnson for enough ABs to qualify him on that list.  He also has 4 HRs and 20 RBIs this season, not bad for a guy who bats for average and bats in the lead-off spot most days.  He's swiped seven bases as well, and has scored 49 runs, in only 64 games.

But the real reason behind my MVP ballot check mark beside Johnson, Reed (Toronto Blue Jays), goes beyond the numbers.  Take one look at Johnson and you'll see what I mean.  Nine times out of ten, that uniform will be dirty, whether it be from making a perfect slide (to score the winning run against Texas, July 4), stealing a base, or making a game-changing diving catch out there in LF.  He wears the old-fashioned high socks, and his piercing gaze would frighten the Undertaker or make Pedro curl up in a corner.  Still not convinced??  Guess his price-tag.  Bet you didn't guess $342 000.  No, for Reed (I'm assuming) its not about the money.  This is no Roger Clemens scenario-$22 M for 3 months to come out and lose your first two starts.  OH!!  I see a Cy Young coming!!

He (Johnson) embodies everything good about the game.  No HGH or Cream or Clear here.  If people start accusing Johnson of steroid use, we might as well give Michael Jackson absolute dictatorship over the world and start lacing our doughnuts with cadmium.

You may not all agree with me, but in my mind, saying Reed Johnson isn't a top-quality player (MVP?!?!?) is like saying Carmen Electra isn't good-looking or Barry Bonds isn't a cheater or that North Korea's president doesn't have huge glasses.

You be the judge, you know which side of the fence I'm on.