Overtime!

Maurice ''Mad Dog'' Vachon At The Hall Of Fame.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:22:00 +0000

The legendary wrestler Maurice Vachon nicknamed ''Mad Dog'', today at 80 years old, is now a part of Quebec's Sport Hall Of Fame this week.

Born in Ville-Emard, Quebec, on September 1st 1929, Maurice Vachon had a very successful amateur wrestling career. At the 1948 London Olympic Games, Vachon finished in 7th place. Two years later, he won a gold medal at the 1950 British Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games.

Vachon had an impressive stature. A strong, massive man with a mad look in the eyes. He was able to defend himself as he had to shrug off a couple of drunk spectators at times. One of those encounters earned him his nickname when Don Owen, a wrestling promoter, yelled at him: ''You're just a mad dog!''.

A brilliant professional career followed for Maurice ''Mad Dog'' Vachon who's fame had no boundaries. An approximate 13,000 live events all over the world. I personally remember him as I was a kid when I used to watch wrestling on TV. His WWF days where great as he made a fantastic heel. A bad guy that everyone loved.

Maurice Vachon retired in 1985. One year later, an accident forced the doctors to cut Maurice's right leg under the knee. This event did not undermine his morale as he continued to appear on various TV shows.

The enormous charisma of this generous and tender man is now recognized. This is a well deserved honor. Maurice Vachon will always have a warm place in our hearts.

Congratulations Maurice for your fantastic journey and thanks for the memories.

Carey Price Ends His Losing Streak Against The Boston Bruins.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Despite a sixth consecutive loss against the Atlanta Trashers on Tuesday evening, the Montreal Canadiens sent Carey Price in net Thursday for their game with the Boston Bruins.

The Habs' goaltender was sharp and stopped 42 of the 43 shots he faced, helping the Canadiens in that 2-1 victory acquired at the shootout session. A victory that will feel like a breath of fresh air for Price.

Mike Cammalleri was the only player from both teams able to beat the goaltender in that shootout session. Tim Thomas was fooled by a good wrist shot from Cammalleri.

As for the scoring during regulation, Glen Metropolit put Montreal on the board on a great effort around the net from Andrei Kostitsyn. Patrice Bergeron tied the score at 1-1 with under a minute to play in the third period.

The Canadiens will host the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday and I think that Carey Price should be sent in net by head coach Jacques Martin. The Canadiens are still hovering at the .500 record with 8 wins and 8 losses.

(Picture: Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens 2009 October Recap: Halak wins, Price doesn't.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:13:00 +0000

The first month of this 2009-2010 NHL season is already behind us and I thought it would be a good time to check out how the Montreal Canadiens initiated their season.

The injury to defense men Andrei Markov during the first game of the season revealed the fragile state of the Canadiens' defensive unit. The team allowed a ton of shots a few games later resulting in an ugly five-game losing streak.

The departure of Mike Komisarek, Mathieu Dandenault and Francis Bouillon was patched by GM Bob Gainey with the acquisition of Hal Gill, Paul Mara, Jaroslav Spacek and later on, Marc-Andre Bergeron. I don't see any significant improvement at that position from last season.

But on a positive note, I really liked Paul Mara's physical contribution and on-ice presence during the first month. Also, Bergeron and Gill registered their first goal with the Canadiens during the month of October. But that's about all the positive points I could ever find about this defensive unit.

On the offensive side of the game, the Canadiens' top line performed to the expectations. Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez produced well early on while Mike Cammalleri took a few games before taking off. Tomas Plekanec on the second offensive line did well but his linemate Andrei Kostitsyn has not been sharp.

A.K. has been under the scope for a while and many think that his work ethic is a problem. Nobody ever doubted the raw talent of the two brothers. The results on the ice and the criticism around him and his younger brother Sergei opens the door to a much deeper problem than those two players: The organization incapacity to fully develop their young talent.

Finally, in the late stages of the month, goaltender Jaroslav Halak helped the team to get back to the .500 record with a winning streak at the Bell centre. In fact, during the last 12 games, Halak registered five wins and two losses while Carey Price suffered five straight losses. Halak also leads Price on the GAA and Save Percentage stat sheet for the month of October.

The burning question in the early stages of November will be asked to head coach Jacques Martin. Which goaltender is your No 1 man? Carey Price or Jaroslav Halak?

Stay tuned for the continuation of this already exciting 2009-2010 season.

(Picture: Jaroslav Halak.)

Crosby Crushes The Canadiens' Winning Streak.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Sidney Crosby scored three goals on Wednesday evening against the Montreal Canadiens and helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win by the score of 6 to 1.

The Montreal Canadiens' winning streak has been stopped at four consecutive games and the overall team record stands at six wins and six losses after twelve games.

Jaroslav Halak was the starting goaltender for a fifth game in a row in this one but was pulled by head coach Jacques Martin during the third period. Carey Price allowed two goals in relief. We can expect Price's return as starting goaltender for the next game.

But the star of the show was Sidney Crosby who completed his hat trick during the second period of the game. The Penguins captain and his troops have an impressive 11-2 record this season.

(Picture: Sidney Crosby, Canadian Press.)

The ''Good Old Days'' Look.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Are you of those who liked the good old days? I remember those great looking bicycles we used to ride on all afternoon long when we were kids. Today, it seems that everyone is using the same mountain bike style.

If you are like me and prefer the good old days, then you should take a look at the selection of stylish bicycles available at www.cruiserstyle.com. And what are those bikes used to look like? Well, for example, this great looking pink beach cruiser, also an interesting selection of kids cruiser is available and they even have choppers! Of course, some accessories and some bike racks are always useful.

Some very interesting shapes and colors are available on cruiserstyle.com. And if you think that those bikes don't sell, make no mistake: they are selling tons of them!

Located in California, the service in the U.S. is handled through FedEx shipping. And of course, it makes a great gift for Christmas.

Montreal Canadiens: Four Wins In A Row With Halak.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:31:00 +0000

The Montreal Canadiens ended their six-game home stand with four consecutive wins with a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday night.

The Islanders were a more difficult opponent this time. After being outclassed by the score of 5-1 last week, the Islanders forced an overtime period but ultimately lost the game when Roman Hamrlik scored the decisive goal during the overtime period. This was already the fourth overtime victory for the Canadiens this season.

But I want to keep the focus on goaltender Jaroslav Halak for a moment. Montreal Canadiens' head coach Jacques Martin decided to go with his hottest goaltender in order to win games lately. Martin did not force Carey Price in against the New York Rangers on Saturday like we all expected. Mike Cammalleri's hat trick performance won that game after the team went down by a two goal margin on two different occasions.

The Canadiens will play the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. Will Jacques Martin send Jaroslav Halak in net once again or will he try to send Carey Price in action to extend the team's winning streak to five games?

(Picture: Roman Hamrlik, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens: A winning streak!

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:44:00 +0000

The Montreal Canadiens waited until the 9th game of the regular season to win a first game in regulation. A convincing 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

It is true that the best performance of the season came against one of the weakest team of the league but the way the team has been playing lately, any good news is welcome.

Scott Gomez, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Max Pacioretty, Mike Cammalleri and Maxim Lapierre scored for Montreal while only Josh Bailey beat Jaroslav Halak and avoided the shut out.

The Canadiens is currently on two wins in a row and will play the New York Rangers on Saturday evening. Who will be in net for the Canadiens on Saturday? Jaroslav Halak or Carey Price?

Head coach Jacques Martin has an important decision to take.

(Picture: Getty Images.)

Montreal Canadiens: Five Straight Losses, Calling Bergeron Up.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:59:00 +0000

The Montreal Canadiens will try to stop their losing streak to five straight games tonight when they will host the Atlanta Trashers.

Acquired after Andrei Markov's injury, Marc-Andre Bergeron will play his first game with the Canadiens tonight.

Outside Ilya Kovalchuk's playing quality, the Trashers never represented a force in the NHL since their arrival. It is then a good occasion for the Habs to snap out of their losing streak tonight with a strong performance. The Canadiens did not give a full 60 minute effort this far this season and it would be a great time to start doing so.

As for Marc-Andre Bergeron, he will wear the ''bleu blanc rouge'' uniform for the first time of his career. A dream for any French-Canadian hockey player. He was impressed by the size of the Canadiens' dressing room and can't wait to contribute.

This season, Bergeron played three games in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs and registered 6 assists. Shawn Belle was sent back to Hamilton.

Yesterday, head coach Jacques Martin talked about his expectations regarding Marc-Andre Bergeron. The Habs coach should use him on the man-advantage along with Jaroslav Spacek and will give him around 16-18 minutes of ice time.

(Picture: Marc-Andre Bergeron, RDS.)

Montreal Canadiens Season Opener: Will You Cheer or Will You Boo?

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:04:00 +0000

The Montreal Canadiens will open their home season at the Bell Centre after playing their first five games of the 2009-2010 season on the road.

The early season road trip brought so many discussion topics to the couch managers. Hell, the press still cares and debates about what will happen to Sergei Kostitsyn! The guy's in the AHL...move on guys!

So, despite losing to injury defense mens, Andrei Markov and Ryan O'Byrne, losing 7 to 1 to the Vancouver Canucks, despite losing their last three games of this road trip and finally despite being ranked the 29th penalty killing unit of the NHL, the Canadiens managed to win two of those five games, for four points in the standings. That's a tie with the 7th place in the Eastern Conference before tonight's games.

The regular season AND the finger pointing season is now started. Especially the second one.

After five games, the candidates for the ''I have so much fingers pointed at me right now!'' award would be: Carey Price for his Vancouver game, Andrei Kostitsyn because it's ''in'' to blame him, Hal Gill for his -3 and 11 PIM, Maxim Lapierre and Max Pacioretty for their absence.

I know I have not mentioned a couple of others, pick your own winners and go ahead, blame them.

For me, and for a few others, I see the glass half full. I did not expect a good start and I believe that the team will suffer a lot until the new year.

The team has four points, which were won by none other than Carey Price and the new players on the roster. In two of five games Price played well enough to steal the win while the Gionta-Gomez-Cammalleri trio gave a couple of options to head coach Jacques Martin. We still are waiting for Cammaleri's first goal of the season but his presence is positive on the ice. I still think the he will have a good season and score his 30 goals.

Winning a game is big for the Canadiens right now, and for a couple of months. Each win will reduce the amount of points the team will have to recover in the final rat race towards the playoffs.

And right now, the Canadiens will host the next six games. Will you cheer or will you boo?

You will be the sixth player on the ice for the next six games. Think before booing.

(Picture: Brian Gionta, AP.)

How About A $20,000 Kitchen Makeover Canada?

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:20:00 +0000

You have read correctly, Dr. Oetker Kitchen Makeover Contest, offers Canadian residents to register right now for a chance to win a $20,000 kitchen makeover!

All that is needed to do is to pick up your PIN from a specially marked package of Casa di Mama Pizza from Dr. Oetker and visit the contest site, register and enter your PIN. The contest ends on January 4th 2010 and is for Canadian residents only.

A couple of very interesting minor prizes are also up for grabs. Eight secondary winners will each pick up one of the following Whirlpool kitchen appliances. A fridge/freezer, an electric range, a dishwasher and a microwave only to name those. An additional 2,000 people will win either a Casa di Mama Pizza or a pizza cutter.

I can't stop thinking about what my kitchen would look like after a $20,000 makeover. My house would never look the same again with such an investment. Think about it: A brand new fridge, a brand new range and oven, a brand new coffee machine (oh yes...), a brand new table and new chairs! A total makeover.

I know you want to win too. Just get your PIN with your next Casa di Mama Pizza purchase and register on Dr. Oetker's contest site.

Anyone can register as many PINs as he wishes. Good luck and bon appetit!

Vancouver defeats Montreal 7-1: Price not to blame.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:32:00 +0000

The Montreal Canadiens came back to the harsh reality of Western conference play as they lost a second game in two nights by the score of 7-1 to the Vancouver Canucks.

Incidently, Vancouver was looking for a first win this season and Roberto Luongo had a 4.50 GAA before the game. Two very good reasons explaining their solid outing.

The number of goals scored on goaltender Carey Price looks bad but he is not to blame on five of those seven goals. Three of those goals were scored on a breakaway.

The Canadiens' defense without Andrei Markov is not able to match any ''top line on a good night'' in the league and Price will continue to see a lot of shots and odd-man rushes in the coming months. The addition of defense men Paul Mara and Hal Gill by General Manager Bob Gainey is not helping either. Those two players really lack speed and will require at least half a season to get going.

The Montreal Canadiens could dramatically sink in the standings until the new year. A rat race to come back into the playoff hunt is a possible scenario awaiting the team for this 2009-2010 season.

Those of you that thinks that Carey Price will have another awful season should wait a little bit before saying: ''I told you!'' A new attitude is noted by the people surrouding the athlete while unlike last year, a major part of his family is now settled in Montreal, thousands of miles closer.

Head coach Jacques Martin was unhappy with his team and conducted a punitive practice session this morning.

(Picture: Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens: First loss of the season.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:34:00 +0000

The Montreal Canadiens were playing their third game of the season tonight as they were in western Canada to face the Calgary Flames.

The Canadiens has won their first two games of the season but it was in large part because of the fantastic play of the goaltender, Carey Price. For tonight's game, Jaroslav Halak was in net for the Habs.

The Flames dominated the play during the first period. Eric Nystrom opened the score for Calgary. but the Canadiens struck late into the period when Scott Gomez and Guillaume Latendresse beat Mikka Kiprusoff in a 32 second span.

Eric Nystrom tied the game up with his second goal of the game halfway into the second period. Then Jarome Iginla gave the lead to Calgary when he pounced on a rebound from the goal post on a shot from the blue line. Halak is still looking for this puck.

But the Canadiens tied the score at 3 before the end of the second period when Tomas Plekanec beat Kiprusoff with a wild back handed shot.

The Flames scored the winning goal early into the third period when Eric Nystrom completed his first career hat trick goal. Mikka Kiprusoff closed the door to any comeback with timely saves.

Final score: Calgary Flames 4 - Montreal Canadiens 3.

(Picture: Eric Nystrom and Jaroslav Halak, Canadian Press.)

Andrei Markov's injury: A big challenge for the Montreal Canadiens.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:20:00 +0000

The first victory of the season for the Montreal Canadiens came with a huge price tag. The team's best defense men, Andrei Markov, was injured and will be sidelined for up to four months.

The incident came during the third goal of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens goaltender, Carey Price, went on the ice in an attempt to stop the puck and clipped Markov's left foot with the blade of his skate. The incident at first look seems to be minor but the injury that resulted is catastrophic for the team.

The challenge will be to play all this time without their best player. The Canadiens cannot replace a player like Andrei Markov. Canadiens' head coach Jacques Martin will have to find a solution to this problem. The Habs held a record of 6-19-2 without the russian player in the lineup.

The team could call up Yannick Weber, Matthieu Carle or P.K. Subban from the Hamilton Bulldogs to fill the spot.

(Picture: Andrei Markov, Getty Images.)

Canadiens opens the season with an overtime win.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:07:00 +0000

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Montreal Canadiens tonight as the 2009-2010 season kicks off tonight.

The intense rivalry between those two teams was re-ignited very early into this game as Georges Laraque and Colton Orr fought, followed by a meeting between Travis Moen and Jay Rosehill.

The Canadiens scored shortly after as Brian Gionta scored during a man-advantage with a shot that beat Vesa Toskala. This was Gionta's first goal as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Alex Ponikarovski tied the score for the Leafs before the end of the first period.

Montreal took the lead once again with the help of the checking line when Travis Moen scored with the help of Georges Laraque and Glen Metropolit. Once again, the Leafs tied the score when Matt Stajan tipped in a feed from his defense men on a man-advantage.

Stajan sent the Leafs ahead by 3-2 with his second goal of the game. The hot streak against the Canadiens continues for him as he seems to always keeps his best games for the Habs.

But despite being dominated in the play, the Canadiens tied the game when Glen Metropolit tipped a shot from Josh Georges during another man-advantage.

Josh Georges made the difference during th overtime period with an opportunistic goal. The Canadiens steal the season opener by the score of 4-3.

The best players on the Habs side were Glen Metropolit, Josh Georges, Brian Gionta, Mike Camallari and the goaltender, Carey Price who stopped 43 of the 46 shots he faced.

It is a disappointing start for the Leafs as they played a solid game overall. But this season is very young. For the fans, and for my own pleasure,it was great to see the coolest sport on earth in action once again.

(Picture: Josh Goeges and Carey Price, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens' season opens tomorrow.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:29:00 +0000

The 2009-2010 edition of the Montreal Canadiens is very different from last season. General Manager Bob Gainey found a new coach in Jacques Martin and has drastically modified his roster.

The Canadiens will open their season tomorrow evening against an old rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. There will be no love lost between thos two teams this season as the Leafs did also acquire their share of new players. One of them is defense men Mike Komisarek, coming from the Montreal Canadiens.

The Habs did travel to the Toronto area three days ago and finalized their training camp with a private gathering to try to smoothe the entry of the new players and create some kind of chemistry between the players.

There is still no sign given by the organization with the team's captaincy. As the rumor mill has already debated on the possibilities of who will be the next Montreal Canadiens captain, Jacques Martin did not reveal anything during the training camp.

I cannot wait for this new season to begin. I will be glued to my television tomorrow evening for the season opener between the Leafs and the Habs.

Ahhhhhhhh... :)

Yummy fun from Dr. Oetker.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:14:00 +0000

Dr. Oetker brings you a whole new way to cook and have fun with your kids, the Dr. Oetker shaker!

The shaker is really easy to use. Just add milk or water, shake and pour. It is the perfect item for any children birthday party or even your child's bake sale! You just leave milk and water on the table and let the fun time begin.

And why not add some beneful nutrients? There is absolutely 0 trans fat and it is also a source of fiber and prebiotics. This beats the good old cake full of trans fat and it is a lot more fun to prepare for the kids.

Unfortunatly for me, I have no kids yet. But my brother has two kids himself and I will strongly suggest the Dr. Oetker shaker for his next son's birthday. We actually had a birthday party for him just last month and we ate a huge cake... not really what the Dr. ordered!

I have no doubt that the shaker would have been a huge success with my nephew at his last birthday. He just turned three years old last month and he already likes birthdays and cupcakes.

I also have to mention Dr Oetker's shaker contest. You can enter every day for your chance to win a $1200 Visa Card for your next family fun party or 1 of 10 Dr. Oetker shaker fun pack. An exciting way to spread the word about this new product.

Jean Pascal to defend his title vs Silvio Branco on Friday.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:00:00 +0000

The stage is set for the biggest challenge in Jean Pascal's pro boxing career. He will defend his WBC middleweight championship against a former two-time world champion and No.1 contender, Silvio Branco.

A large crowd at the Bell centre is expected for this great evening of boxing. I expect a huge crowd presence, as usual. Boxing in Montreal has risen from it's ashes in the last ten years and is now producing a top rank caliber. Next Friday night will be no exception.

Montreal produced many champions in this decade. Eric Lucas, Joachim Alcine, Otis Grant, Leonard Dorin, Lucian Bute and Adrian Diaconu. The city has no equal at the moment.

I wish the best of luck to Jean Pascal but I know that this defense will not be an easy one. Branco is a dangerous opponent, a solid contender with a lot of ring experience.

(Picture: Jean Pascal, RDS.)

Customize your style with Ridegear.com

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:02:00 +0000

For those of you who are looking for the right part for your motorcycle, a visit at www.RideGear.com will satisfy you.

The parts offered on the site can fit on either Cruisers, Harleys, Sport Bikes or Goldwings. On this site, the choice is impressive and very well detailed, part by part, category by category.

Brand names, up to 60% off on sportbike gear is also available in a fair amount and variety for either mens or womens. Helmets, gloves, boots, jackets... you name it, RideGear.com has it.

On my first visit, I found the site well categorized and easy on the user. Every choice directs the user right where he wants to be on the first time without any long wait. A big plus for me.

So don't wait up and visit this website for more info.

(Picture: ridegear.com)

A comeback for Justine Henin.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Sixteen months after her retirement form the competition, the former No.1 player in the world, Justine Henin, announced this week that she will come back for the 2010 season.

The main reason for Henin's comeback is that ''the flame has lit up once again''. The lack of passion for the game of tennis was the main reason for her retirement in 2008, something that has come back in the late months according to the Belgian player.

Justine Henin's professional record is an impressive one. In a little less than ten years, she has won 41 WTA titles including 7 Grand Slam titles.

Her small stature was not an obstacle as she used to run down every ball on the court with speed while committing a low number of unforced errors. The news of her comeback will improove the already spectacular field of womens players. With the blooming of many young talent in 2009, the competition will be very fierce in 2010 on the womens' side of the court with the addition of Justine Henin.

Finally, Henin has been training seriously for about three months and she has re-hired her coaching/training staff. No detail is left unattended for this comeback.

I wish her a successful 2010 season.

(Picture: Justine Henin, Canadian Press.)

A series of pre-season games for the Montreal Canadiens.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:07:00 +0000

The Montreal Canadiens' training camp will pick up a notch as the team will play five games in the coming five nights.

The Habs coach, Jacques Martin, knows very well their first opponents, the Florida Panthers, as he was the head coach of this club until last season.

Ironically, the Panthers is the only NHL franchise to hold a winning record over the Canadiens in the history books. Maybe the coming of Jacques Martin this season with the Canadiens will solve this weird slump of the club against an ordinary team that are the Florida Panthers.

The Habs fans will finally have an opportunity to see the newest faces of the club in action.

2009 US Open: Del Potro defeats Federer in a classic 5-set showdown.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:04:00 +0000

Due to the bad weather conditions, the 2009 US Open mens final between Juan Martin Del Potro and Roger Federer was played today.

The fans gathered at Arthur Ashe stadium were in for a five set showdown that lasted just over four hours. At the end, Juan Martin Del Potro took advantage of the play with his formidable and powerful forehand and won by 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) and 6-2.

The momentum shifted a couple of times during this wonderful match. Federer at first, exploited a nervous Del Potro who really needed some time to get into this match. But once his gears got rolling and his forehand was adjusted to kill mode, Federer became a mere spectator so many times.

But we also have to give some credit to the great champion that is Roger Federer. His grand slam experience allowed him to hang in there and even steal the third set away from Del Potro.

But the fire and intensity of Del Potro was too much later on. After a disputed fourth set decided at the tie breaker, the dominance of his forehand made the difference.

Congratulations to Juan Manuel Del Potro for his very first grand slam championship at these 2009 US Open championships.

(Picture: Juan Manuel Del Potro, Canadian Press.)

Kim Clijters wins the 2009 US Open.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:03:00 +0000

Because of the bad weather conditions at Flushing Meadows this weekend, the 2009 US Open womens final was played yesterday while the mens were at the semifinal matches.

Kim Clijters faced Caroline Wozniacki yesterday for the title. It was the first grand slam final appearance for Wozniacki while Clijters had won this major tournament in 2005.

Kim Clijters came back from a 2-4 deficit during the first set to eventually win in two sets of 7-5 and 6-3. Clijters, who gave birth to a lovely girl only 18 months ago became the first mother to win a grand slam title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon back in 1980. She also became the first woman to win the US Open without being ranked in the top 10.

After the match, Clijters thanked the tournament directors for the invitation as she wasn't ranked high enough to claim a spot in the draw. She was also glad to win a major once again especially after retiring and giving birth.

Congratulations to you Kim for a great tournament.

(Picture: Kim Clijters and her daughter, Canadian Press.)

The NFL season opens today.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:37:00 +0000

After a long wait, as usual, we are now at opening day of this brand new NFL regular season.

The defending champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, will try to defend their title. A title that was won over the surprizing Arizona Cardinals in a dramatic fashion. A memorable performance by both teams.

But today, a new chapter will be written. This season will be crucial for many teams and many players. Who will rise up and claim the Vince Lombardi trophy in early 2010?

As for Brett Favre, he has decided to come out of retirement once again and will play with the Minnesota Vikings this season. An intense rivalry with his former team, the Green Bay Packers is expected.

Michael Vick is also another story to watch. After serving his time for running illegal dog fights on his property, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback should see some action this year. What will be the fans reaction around the league when Vick will step on the field?

This and a lot more stories are on tap for this new NFL season. Have a good one dear NFL fans.

(Picture: The Steelers and the Vince Lombardy trophy.)

2009 US Open: Melanie Oudin advances to the quarterfinals.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:52:00 +0000

After defeating Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova during earlier rounds, the 17-year-old American phenom, Melanie Oudin, defeated Nadia Petrova in three sets of 1-6, 7-6 and 6-3 and qualified herself for a quarterfinal match at the 2009 US Open.

The young Oudin had an horrible first set this afternoon as she committed a countless number of unforced errors. But as the match went along, the young tennis player adjusted her game and was more and more regular on the court.

Then Petrova started to commit more mistakes during the second set and really gave a second wind to her young opponent. Serving at 4-3 in the second set, Petrova was controlling the pace of the match but completely lost her focus, allowing Oudin to break her and even the score at 4-4.

The second set had to be decided by a tie break that was easily won by Melanie Oudin by the score of 7-2. The third set was a mirror image of the second set -Petrova generating the most of the unforced errors- but more importantly, Oudin broke Petrova's serve four times during the third set alone to claim the victory.

The unbelievable journey of Melanie Oudin will continue for at least one more match to the delight of the fans gathered at Flushing Meadows. The young and very talented player is already gathering crowds at her young age and will continue to be the talk of the town.

Congratulations and good luck for the rest of the way.

(Picture: Melanie Oudin, Canadian Press.)

My 2009 GP3R pictures.

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:06:00 +0000

It took me a week to gather all my pictures from the 40th edition of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres but they are finally here and ready to be posted.

The whole weekend was perfect for racing fans. It was sunny and very hot for the entire weekend. The crowd was gathered on the site to take pictures of the cars and take pictures with the drivers who were very accessible this year.

The most popular pilots were Jacques Villeneuve, Alexandre Tagliani, Andrew Ranger and Patrice Brisebois. The four drivers were running in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series. Ranger took the checkered flag at the end of the weekend, his second consecutive victory in Trois-Rivieres.

I had a blast this year. I was ready to take many great pictures and I did just that. I was fortunate on a couple of occasions and the results are very satisfying. I botched only a few ones during the whole weekend.

I took pictures of the main cars and drivers of this last weekend. A lot of NASCAR and Koni challenge cars along with a few Mazda series cars and then a couple of the best looking touring cars. I even took shots of the best looking cars of the parking lot and a couple of shots of gorgeous womens that were passing by.

I am particulary proud of my pictures of Jacques Villeneuve, Andrew Ranger and Alexandre Tagliani. The trio was very accessible for the fans. I was fortunate enough to meet Andrew Ranger and exchange with him for a few minutes on Friday. The pilots were signing autographs, smiling and posing for the racing fans all weekend long.

This weekend the NASCAR Nationwide series is running in Montreal for the NAPA 200. The same drivers are present to this event along with a couple of regular Nationwide drivers such as Patrick Carpentier and Kyle Busch.

The weather unfortunatly could cause problems as heavy raining is forecasted for the whole weekend. Last year, the NAPA 200 NASCAR race was also shortened because of rain.