CFL 2011 Season Begins This Weekend!

With Arena Football League season under way, there will be another chapter going down in the books, as the Canadian Football League begins regular season play on Thursday with the two time defending Grey Cup champs Montreal Alouettes hosting the Lions.

CFL is and always will be the "cure for the common football." With the exception of indoor leagues such as AFL and the former af2, other outdoor leagues tried and failed-such as USFL and XFL. UFL is still active, and their season begins in August.

With the NFL lockout, and the rumored shrinking of the regular season from 16 to 8 (see 1982), at least the CFL never fails. And it's regardless of what period you're talking about, whether it's before the Miners (1993), the US expansion era (1993-95, including the Pirates), the "Radically Canadian" era, or the current era, it never failed. Remember the 54-51 shootout at Taylor Field between the Riders and Als? Could there be something like that to start the season off? Who knows as the CFL season begins Thursday.

For the record, every game televised is exclusive to TSN for the fourth consecutive year. In the states, watch it on ESPN3!

Round 1 schedule:
Als/Lions (Stade Percival) 6/30 7:30pm

**CANADA DAY CLASSICS**
TiCats/Bombers (Ivor Wynne) 7/1 6pm
Stamps/Argos (McMahon) 7/1 7pm

Riders/Esks (Taylor) 7/3 6pm

(all times local to home team)

It's Women's World Cup Time!

That's right! 2011 Women's World Cup is in Deutschland, where the Germans are defending their crown. The Germans start off group matches on Sunday afternoon against Canada. Kickoff is 6pm local time (11am USCDT).

The first match will have Nigeria and France, with a 3pm local kickoff (8am USCDT).

US Women will start play Tuesday against North Korea. Kickoff is 6:15 local (11:15am USCDT).

Every game in the states in English will be on ESPN or ESPN2. Totally unsure about the Spanish commentary, and whether or not any network in the Univision Communications family (Univision & Telefutura free-to-air, Galavision cable) will carry the games this year, since they currently have the Spanish language rights in the States for the men's World Cup.

And there's probably going to be live timing and scoring at the official FIFA Women's World Cup site, just like the men's World Cup last year. 

Go US women's soccer!

 

The Return of the Name "Winnipeg Jets"!

It was announced Friday before the 7th pick in the first round of the 2011 NHL draft...

Yes folks!

J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

Oh and for the record, The Stars first pick (14th in first round) happens to be a big 6'7" defenseman and has the distinction of being the first drafted from NCAA Division I hockey!

Another tidbit of the draft, one of the Sens' first round picks is a native of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. Very interesting.

Friday Jukebox 6.24.11: A Tribute to Clarence Clemons.

As you all aware, Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist for the E Street Band passed away earlier this week. You all remember the video for the E Street Band's "Dancing in the Dark" from the Born In the USA album (1984), where a young Courtney Cox (Friends, Cougar Town, etc.) came on stage and danced with both Clarence and Bruce! Enjoy as this is a tribute to a big contribution to a big name act that everyone loves and adores. RIP Big Man.

Lt. Columbo Hangs Up His Coat For Good...

In Heaven. At the age of 83.   Great in "Machine Gun McCain" (1970) as well.

BELLATOR Returns This Weekend!

This Saturday night marks the return of one-if not-the most exciting mixed martial arts promotion on the planet-BELLATOR, "Where Title Shots Are EARNED, NOT GIVEN"!

This is Bellator's "Summer Series," that kicks off this Saturday night (6/25) in Hollywood, Florida with Bellator 46. The two hour broadcast on MTV2 will be all featherweight quarterfinal matches, headlined by Pat Curran (pictured) against Luis Palomino. Former Sengoku champ Marlon Sandro will take on Genair da Silva.

THE CARD (as of now):

Featherweight tournament (145 lbs./65.25 kg)

Marlon Sandro v. Genair da Silva

Nazareno Malagerie v. Jacob Devree

Ronnie Mann v. Adam Schindler

Pat Curran v Luis Palomino

LIVE from Hollywood Florida, starts at 8pm USCDT LIVE on MTV2! 

 

BIG Road Racing Weekend This Weekend.

This weekend is a big road course racing weekend around the globe. The biggest of the weekend's motorsport activities is the annual Nurburgring 24 Hour race, featuring over 150 GT and touring cars from around the eastern hemisphere. No US TV for this one, so there's live timing at the race's official website and Radio Le Mans will have live radio coverage!

And in other road racing news, Formula 1 will have the European Grand Prix, but at Valencia, Spain. The good news, for the second straight F1 event, here in the States it will be televised free to air (Fox) on Sunday.

Also Sprint Cup and K&N West are at Sears Point (Infineon), with West on Saturday and Sprint Cup on Sunday, where the series will make it's 23rd appearance.

Finally, Nationwide will race at Road America, a place where CART/ChampCar and American LeMans had great races there in the past. The bad thing is that the Nationwide series is sharing the weekend with Grand (Sh)Am and their "crapotypes."

So there's a lot of options as your choices, but a big road racing weekend nonetheless around the world.