Winnipeg Free Press

What Do You Drink with a Slice of Humble Pie?

So your humble agent penned a column about how such a decision wouldn't have been well received in Mooseville, where there is much sensitivity about the "farm team" label. Said column appeared under the headline: "Habs don't give a hoot about their Hamilton farm team." "I just thought you'd like a reminder about your column last month," wrote Keith McCann, literally moments after the Bulldogs victory. "It would be nice to hear some praise and perhaps eat a few words regarding the decisions Bo...

Skateboarding On Tap at Olympics, Dude?

"The IOC wants to make the program relevant for young people," IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said. The IOC does not recognize an international skateboarding federation, so the sport would first need to be adopted as a discipline under the UCI umbrella. After that, the UCI could make a formal proposal to the IOC for its inclusion in the Olympics. The proposed venue for skateboarding in London is the velodrome in the Olympic Park.

No. 1 Federer Faces Nemesis Nadal in Final

"It's not the same. It's not doing it in one year. It's doing it at the end of one year and the beginning of the next," [Rod Laver] said by telephone from Carlsbad, Calif. "Still, it's unbelievable -- if he does it." "If I arrive on Sunday, and I don't play a very, very, very good match, I'm going to lose for sure," said Nadal, who lost to Federer in last year's Wimbledon final and is always quick to remind everyone which of the two is ranked No. 1. "If I play a very good match, maybe I'm goi...

The Local Scene

CANADA'S national men's volleyball team, based in Winnipeg, continued to struggle Friday in the 2007 World League of Volleyball losing in straight sets to Finland in the Lahti Ice Hall in Lahti, Finland. Team Canada, which has been plagued by injuries, will host Korea in Winnipeg's MTS Centre on June 29 at 7:30 p.m.. and June 30 at 2:30 p.m. The team includes setters Scott Koskie and Mike Munday of Winnipeg and former University of Manitoba Bisons middle player Steve Brinkman. THE Manitoba H...

Vita Athlete has Chance to Shine

"It's really tough to balance everything, but you get used to it after a while," she said. "It seemed like I would just take on one thing, and things were going OK, so I'd take on another one." "I don't ever jump on this (University of Manitoba) track," said [Bailey Philippot], who beat out Danielle O'Donnell of Vincent Massey Winnipeg (4.90) and Christine Bestland of Sanford (4.82). "We don't actually have a track at our school. We have a really bad long jump pit, and I just kind of practise...

Run Roberts Run

"I want to be remembered as one of the best," [Charles Roberts] begins, resting his keister on his helmet after Day 6 of Bombers training camp. "Leo (Lewis) hasn't been forgotten, but there are others who have been. There are standouts and all-stars and 20 years down the line people are saying, 'Who?' "It's not up to me... I guess if I'm remembered, I'm remembered. But if not I'll still know what I've been able to overcome being as small as I am and still being able to become a starting runni...

First to Home

"We've been bad on the road. I don't have an answer for it," shrugged Goldeyes manager Rick Forney. "I wish I did. Maybe we lay around in the hotel too much. We need to play a little better on the road. If we have to take infield, which we never do but are today, to get us going quicker, that's what we're going to do. We have to figure out a way to get it right on the road. "I can't worry about Fargo and what they're doing because I think Calgary is just as dangerous. They may be a little sho...

Around the Nfl

"I would like for him to make a move," [Greg Ellis] told the newspaper on Thursday. "Let me know and let (the media) know, 'Greg we do want you here.' With him saying, 'No we're not planning to sit down with Greg or his agent or anybody,' I think that pretty much sums it up." "My goal is 2,500 total yards from scrimmage," [STEVEN JACKSON] told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "And how I get it doesn't matter. But I want to get to that number." "I'm glad I'm here and I enjoy it, but I hope people...

Bekasiak Opts to Sign with Cats

"I could have waited," the University of Toledo grad said. "I got invited to other camps, but it was getting late." "I didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to play here and I think it's a great opportunity," said the 25-year-old Bekasiak.

Clemens Makes 1st Start Today Vs. Pirates

"He's going to be sky high. He's a very emotional guy. Hopefully it doesn't affect his command, but he's certainly going to be a presence for us tomorrow," [Joe Torre] said. "He's going to be over the top. That's what he's all about." "It doesn't make a difference if [Roger Clemens] is on the team or if you bring Babe Ruth back and put him on the team. We have to go out there and play," Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. "Like I said, when we first signed Rocket, you can't sit around and wait ...

Free Press Scores an Ace with Speirs' U.S. Open Blog

The 28-year-old Winnipegger, who went through the 8,544-player qualifying process to become one of the 156 to earn their way into the championship, has agreed to blog about his experiences on www.winnipegfreepress.com all of next week. Readers of the Free Press print edition will also benefit from [Adam Speirs]' daily diary from the Open. "I think from my experience in 2002 I have learned to enjoy it," Speirs said. "I was nervous, but I got used to it. I think knowing how much a better golfer...

Is Edison Pick of the Litter?

"I played safety in college so I always had a nose for the ball and reading the quarterback's eyes and getting to the ball, but it's kind of different here," said [Toney Edison], who's seen action all over the defensive secondary but most recently has been lining up at the SAM linebacker spot, a position that requires a DB's speed and a linebacker's tenacity. "He can cover so he's able to run with these guys. He has good speed. If you come out and you're catching the ball every day, then you'...

Lebron Must Spring Loose of Spurs

"It's all a team effort," Spurs forward Michael Finely said. "It started out with [Bruce Bowen] lining up on him and just making his looks and his drives and such difficult. But at the same time, Bruce knew he had his teammates behind him. We just wanted to make it tough for [LeBron James], make him have to take tough shots and make them. "We've been in this position before," James said. "We've been down 2-0 and came back and won a series. So it's nothing new to us. But we don't want to go do...

On2

"Every kid always imagines what he would do," O'[Donnell] told the Times. "I'll probably go back to Kanata and have some close friends in the backyard for a couple of hours in the afternoon and do something at night for one of the coaches I played for. There's so many people. "Let's say [Reggie Bush] had gone No. 1," [Matt Leinart] asked. "Who would you take second?" "That's unbelievable," [ROB LOWE] told the Des Moines Register. "Who comes here and kills the state bird? Only me."

Pro Career Sounding Good to Talented Bison Mancini

"I have one year left at school," he said after his 15th-place finish at last week's Canadian University/College Championship. "I'm certain I'm going to play amateur golf this year and next. Then maybe professional, and the question will be when to turn?" "The schedule is difficult personally," [Tyler Mancini] said. "The only competitive thing here regularly is Mundie Putter. We go kind of cold beyond that. Of course there's the amateur, it's one of my personal majors, and I've definitely got...

The Fight for Work

Here's a little snippet as to how competitive the battle for jobs has been through a week, courtesy [Doug Berry]: "(Receiver) Chris Bazzell had a little bit of a nag bothering him and his coach, Bobby Dyce, says, 'Chris, why don't you take the next couple of reps off.' Chris turns to Bobby and says, 'Are you crazy?! I can see who you guys have got lined up behind me.' " Brazzell is trying to hold off challenges from Terrence Edwards, Johnson III, Jeremy Carter and others. "Troy (Westwood) was...

Treeless Oakmont Reverts to Roots

The very steel that made Henry C. Fownes, Oakmont's founder and masterful designer, rich enough to build it -- thus satisfying his wish for a course challenging enough to test his own excellent game. (Within two years of taking up the sport in the late 19th century, at industrialist Andrew Carnegie's suggestion, Fownes qualified for the U.S. Amateur.) Oakmont is a classic, yet it is the only course Fownes designed. "It's hard to imagine that we're going to go there and there's not going to be...

Bombers Training Camp

"I was (a Bomber fan) growing up," said [Kyle Koch], 22. "I came to a lot of games, and it's kinda funny being out here with some of the guys that I would come to watch." "Kyle who? Does he play for me? What's his number?" joked [Bob Wylie] after Wednesday's practice. "He's watching extra film, he knows his playbook, he's asking intelligent questions. He's doing good things to make this team."