Archive for July, 2011
“Football is back”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said these the little words today and instantly a nation of pigskin fans were at finally ease. The 4 month long lockout, the longest work stoppage in league history, is finally over. Today the NFLPA Executive Board and player representatives from all 32 teams voted unanimously to approve a new collective bargaining agreement, ensuring that we will have football for the next 10 years.
Now the fun begins.
At this point in their history, there is not that much that hasen’t been done in a Yankee uniform. Records have been set, records have been broken and most stones have been unturned. But yesterday, history was made. Derek Jeter, the third captain in the team’s history, became the first person to reach 3,000 hits as a Yankee. To make the moment even sweeter, he was able to do it at Yankee stadium; in front of the hometown fans that hold him in such high regard.
At times, this season and last, it has seemed like the Jeter of old was nothing but a memory. But when push came to shove, Derek did what he does best: came through in the clutch. Going into the game, Jeter had only 2 home runs. What does the man do? He blasts a 422-footer, becoming only the 2nd man to ever reach 3,000 with a home run. Not only that, he does it off of a division rival’s ace (David Price). For good measure, he also went 5-5 in the game and drove in the winning run. It is only fitting that when Jeter reaches his big moment, he does it in such a fashion that any Yankee fan can appreciate: big.
Jaromir signs in Philly. This shot of Jagr wont go down smooth in Pittsburgh
It’s official: Jaromir Jagr is returning to the NHL. But what was supposed to be a glorious homecoming of number 68 to the city of black and yellow has taken a turn for the worse. Jagr spurned the offer from the Penguins, instead opting to sign with their bitter rivals: the Philadelphia Flyers. Now the streets will be up in a blaze as the fromer Penguin’s jerseys will be burnt and the steel city will have a new public enemy number one. How did this happen? It was supposed to be between the Pens and the Red Wings. How did the Flyers steal one of Pittsburgh’s favorite sons? We will look at the answer below.
We must start at the beginning. Rumblings about Jagr’s return to the NHL began as soon as he left to play in Russia 3 years ago. His exodus from the league was driven by one thing: money (and lots of it). In Russia’s KHL, Jagr was making more than was allowed in the NHL (over $10 million a year tax free). But 2 years after returning to Europe, Jagr really fueled the speculation that he would return to North America. He was quoted as saying that he would be willing to return to Pittsburgh and play for the league minimum because of all that team owner Mario Lemieux has done for him. Fast forward to this summer, his contract in Russia was up and Pittsburgh was interested.